vorbeireden

The German word "vorbeireden" is a verb that means "to evade" or "to talk past someone". It is a compound of "vorbei" (past) and "reden" (to talk). The term is typically used to describe a situation where someone does not address the main issue or question directly and instead speaks around it or avoids it.

Similar words in German include "ausweichend sprechen" (to speak evasively) and "herumreden" (to beat around the bush). The difference between "vorbeireden" and these similar terms lies in the nuance of evasion: "vorbeireden" often implies discussing something irrelevant instead of the main point, while "herumreden" broadly covers the same avoidance without necessarily implying that the conversation goes past the topic.