to get away / escape
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to escape
To escape from a dangerous or unpleasant situation, often unharmed or with only minor damage.
Er hatte großes Glück und kam bei dem Autounfall mit nur leichten Verletzungen davon.
He was very lucky and escaped the car accident with only minor injuries.
'Davonkommen' (to get away/escape) is a separable verb. The prefix 'davon-' goes at the end in a main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive, the verb stays together.
Der Dieb kam leider davon.
Unfortunately, the thief got away.
The perfect tense of 'davonkommen' (to get away/escape) is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be). This is because it describes a form of movement or a change of state (escape).
Sie ist mit nur einem Schrecken davongekommen.
She escaped with nothing more than a fright.
'Davonkommen' (to get away/escape) is very often used with the preposition 'mit' (with). This combination describes what the result or consequence of escaping is.
Er ist mit einer kleinen Schramme davongekommen.
He escaped with a small scratch.
The context makes clear which meaning is intended. If it is about physical danger (accident, fire), it means 'to remain uninjured.' If it is about rules or laws (crime, lie), it means 'to go unpunished.'
Das Haus brannte komplett nieder, aber die Familie ist zum Glück davongekommen.
The house burned down completely, but fortunately the family escaped.
to survive
'überleben' and 'davonkommen' can both mean that someone gets through a dangerous situation. 'überleben' emphasizes that someone does not die, even though the situation was very dangerous. 'davonkommen' often sounds less strong and means that someone escapes a danger or a problem, often without serious harm. You can also say 'mit einer kleinen Verletzung davonkommen' (to get away with a minor injury). The words can be confused because both sound connected to danger. But 'überleben' is especially appropriate when there is danger to life, while 'davonkommen' is also used for punishment or unpleasant consequences.
Nach dem Fahrradunfall ist Lisa mit ein paar Kratzern davongekommen.
After the bicycle accident, Lisa got away with a few scratches.
Der Bergsteiger hat die kalte Nacht im Schnee überlebt.
The mountaineer survived the cold night in the snow.