Kanji 避: evade, avoid, avert, ward off, shirk, shun

Key takeaways

Kanji 避: evade, avoid, avert, ward off, shirk, shun. Readings and core meaning.

See vocabulary and examples below.

Kanji at a glance

避

Meaning

evadeavoidavertward offshirkshun

On reading

ヒ

Kun reading

さ.けるよ.ける

Radical

辵

Core meaning / core image

Core meaning: 避

evade, avoid, avert, ward off, shirk, shun

Kanji structure breakdown

避

Structure breakdown

辟 + ⻌

Mnemonic story

Imagine walking away (⻌) to escape the law or a punishment (辟). This combination represents the act of 'avoiding' or 'evading' something. It is used in common words like avoidance (回避) and evacuation (避難).

On'yomi and kun'yomi

On reading

ヒ

避難ひなん
taking refuge / finding shelter

Kun reading

さ.ける

避けるさける
to avoid / to stay away from / to prevent

Commonly used words

避難
ひなん
taking refuge / finding shelter
避ける
さける
to avoid / to stay away from / to prevent

Example sentences

Example 1

地震のときは避難してください。

Translation

Please take shelter during the earthquake.

Example 2

雨が強くなって、みんなが避難した。

Translation

The rain got heavy, and everyone took refuge.

Example 3

かぜをさけるためにマスクをつけた。

Translation

I wore a mask to avoid catching a cold.

Example 4

あの人をさけて歩いたほうがいいよ。

Translation

It’s better to avoid walking near that person.

Kanji 避: evade, avoid, avert, ward off, shirk, shun

Kanji at a glance

Core meaning / core image

Kanji structure breakdown

Mnemonic story

On'yomi and kun'yomi

On reading

Kun reading

Commonly used words

Example sentences

避難 (ひなん): meaning and examples

避ける (さける): meaning and examples