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.
escape / alignment
Die Flucht (escape) and entkommen both refer to running away from danger or pursuit. Flucht focuses more on the act of fleeing, while entkommen emphasizes the successful outcome. When the focus is on the movement, use Flucht; when the focus is on succeeding in getting away, entkommen is appropriate.
Der Einbrecher konnte der Polizei durch einen Hinterhof entkommen.
The burglar managed to escape from the police through a back alley.
Der Einbrecher ergriff die Flucht, als die Bewohner nach Hause kamen.
The burglar fled when the residents came home.
