to avoid
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to avoid
To consciously not do something undesirable, negative, or dangerous, or to stay away from a situation in order to prevent it.
Um Fehler zu vermeiden, sollten Sie die Anleitung sorgfältig lesen.
To avoid mistakes, you should read the instructions carefully.
'Vermeiden' (to avoid) is a stronger form of 'meiden' (to avoid/shun). While 'meiden' often refers to a person or place that you personally don't like, 'vermeiden' refers to actively preventing negative events or outcomes.
Er versucht, öffentliche Auftritte zu meiden.
He tries to avoid public appearances.
'Vermeiden' (to avoid) is very often used with an infinitive construction with 'zu' to describe an action that you do not want to do. You can also use the structure 'es vermeiden, ... zu ...' (to avoid ...-ing).
Sie vermeidet es, spät abends allein durch den Park zu gehen.
She avoids walking through the park alone late in the evening.
'Vermeiden' (to avoid) is almost always used with negative things that you do not want. Typical objects in the accusative are: mistakes, stress, conflicts, misunderstandings, risks.
Durch gute Planung können wir unnötigen Stress vermeiden.
With good planning, we can avoid unnecessary stress.
to prevent
'verhindern' and 'vermeiden' both have to do with something undesirable that should not happen. 'verhindern' means that you actively make sure something does not happen, or that someone cannot do something. 'vermeiden' more often means that you yourself do not do something, or that you stay away from a danger. The words are easy to confuse because the result can be similar. Memory tip: 'vermeiden' is often careful avoidance, while 'verhindern' is stopping something or making sure it does not happen.
Zur Sicherheit vermeidet Max dunkle Straßen auf dem Heimweg.
For safety, Max avoids dark streets on his way home.
Eine schnelle Reparatur verhindert am Wochenende größere Probleme auf der Reise.
A quick repair prevents bigger problems on the trip over the weekend.