to escape
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to escape
To successfully free oneself from danger, captivity, or an unpleasant situation; to flee. Often used with a dative object.
Dem Häftling gelang es, dem Gefängnis zu entkommen.
The prisoner managed to escape from the prison.
'Entkommen' (to escape) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'ent-' remains firmly attached to the stem 'kommen' (to come) in all tenses and sentence types. Here, it expresses movement 'away from' something.
Er versuchte zu entkommen, aber die Tür war verschlossen.
He tried to escape, but the door was locked.
The verb 'entkommen' (to escape) is used with the dative to indicate the person, place, or situation that one escapes from. Learners often incorrectly use the accusative here.
Die Maus ist der Katze gerade noch entkommen.
The mouse only just escaped the cat.
The perfect tense of 'entkommen' (to escape) is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be), because it describes movement or a change of location. So it is 'ich bin entkommen' (I escaped), not 'ich habe entkommen'.
Zwei Gefangene sind in der Nacht aus dem Gefängnis entkommen.
Two prisoners escaped from the prison during the night.
to save / rescue
'retten' and 'entkommen' can both describe someone getting out of danger. However, 'retten' can mean that another person helps and brings someone to safety. 'entkommen' mainly says that someone successfully gets out of danger or an unpleasant situation on their own. It is often followed by a dative, for example 'dem Feuer entkommen' (to escape the fire). The words can be confused because the result may be similar. 'retten' emphasizes the help or the rescue, while 'entkommen' emphasizes getting away from the danger.
Der Fahrer entkommt dem Sturm, weil er rechtzeitig in einen Tunnel fährt.
The driver escapes the storm because he drives into a tunnel in time.
Die Ärztin rettet dem Patienten nach dem Unfall das Leben.
The doctor saves the patient's life after the accident.