verb

ausweichen

dodge · avoid · swerve

Sich zur Seite bewegen, um etwas nicht zu treffen, oder einer unangenehmen Frage oder Situation aus dem Weg gehen.

Definition & meaning

The verb ausweichen has three primary meanings in German:

To evade or dodge: To move out of the way of someone or something, often to avoid a collision or a direct encounter.
To bypass or divert: To avoid a specific route, obstacle, or problem by choosing an alternative path or method.
To switch to an alternative: To resort to something else when the original plan or resource is not available or feasible (e.g., "We had to move the party indoors").

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar:

ausweichen is a separable, intransitive verb.
It takes the dative case (e.g., "Er wich dem Auto aus" - He dodged the car).
It is a strong verb: ausweichen (infinitive) – wich aus (past tense) – ausgewichen (past participle, with the auxiliary verb sein).

Origin: The word is composed of the prefix aus- (out of/away) and the verb weichen (to give way/yield). Etymologically, it describes moving out of the way to create space or distance.