to suppress / refrain from
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to suppress
To consciously hold back and refrain from doing or saying something that one would like to do or say, especially a laugh, a remark, or a reaction.
Ich konnte mir ein Grinsen bei seiner komischen Antwort einfach nicht verkneifen.
I simply couldn't suppress a grin at his funny answer.
'Verkneifen' is an inseparable verb because it begins with 'ver-'. The prefix stays firmly attached to the verb stem in all sentence forms and tenses.
Sie hat sich die kritische Bemerkung gerade noch verkniffen.
She just managed to suppress the critical remark.
This verb is always used reflexively, that is, with 'sich'. The person suppressing something or contorting their face is always also the reflexive object.
Bitte verkneif dir diese unpassenden Witze.
Please refrain from making those inappropriate jokes.
When suppressing a reaction, the structure is: subject + sich (dative) + something (accusative) + verkneifen. So the reflexive pronoun is in the dative.
Ich musste mir wirklich das Lachen verkneifen.
I really had to suppress my laughter.
People often suppress reactions or statements. Typical phrases are: 'sich ein Lachen verkneifen' (to suppress a laugh), 'sich eine Bemerkung verkneifen' (to refrain from making a remark), or 'sich einen Kommentar verkneifen' (to refrain from making a comment).
Er wollte etwas sagen, aber er hat es sich verkniffen.
He wanted to say something, but he refrained from it.
to avoid
'vermeiden' and 'sich etwas verkneifen' both mean that you do not do something. 'vermeiden' is more general and is often connected to a goal: you want to prevent a problem, a danger, or an unpleasant situation. 'sich etwas verkneifen' is used when you hold back a strong impulse, especially a remark, a laugh, or a reaction. It sounds more personal and often a bit more colloquial. Learners may confuse the words because both express 'not doing' something. But you avoid a mistake or an argument; you are more likely to 'verkneifen' a comment or a laugh.
Beim ernsten Gespräch musste Tom sich ein Lachen verkneifen.
During the serious conversation, Tom had to suppress a laugh.
Nach dem Streit hat sie weitere Diskussionen mit ihrer Freundin vermieden.
After the argument, she avoided further discussions with her friend.