Introduction
One of the most useful Spanish phrases for learners is evitar que, which means to avoid that or to prevent that. This construction appears frequently in everyday Spanish conversations, written texts, and media. Understanding how to use evitar que with different subjects will significantly enhance your ability to express prevention, avoidance, and caution in Spanish. Whether you want to say that someone avoids doing something or that something prevents an action from happening, this article will guide you through the essential grammar rules and practical applications. By mastering this structure, you will gain confidence in expressing complex ideas about avoiding situations and preventing outcomes.
Understanding the Basic Structure of Evitar Que
Evitar que is a phrase that combines the verb evitar, meaning to avoid or to prevent, with the conjunction que, which introduces a subordinate clause. The basic structure follows this pattern:
Subject + evitar + que + subject + verb in subjunctive mood
For example, the sentence Yo evito que mis hijos salgan solos por la noche translates to I avoid that my children leave alone at night, or more naturally, I prevent my children from leaving alone at night. Notice how the main clause has one subject performing the action of avoiding, while the subordinate clause introduced by que has a different subject performing the action that is being avoided or prevented.
The critical grammatical element here is the subjunctive mood in the subordinate clause. In Spanish, when using evitar que, the verb following que must be conjugated in the subjunctive mood, not the indicative. This is because evitar que expresses intention, prevention, or a desired outcome that has not yet occurred or may not occur.
The Subjunctive Mood After Evitar Que
Understanding why the subjunctive is required after evitar que is fundamental to using this structure correctly. The subjunctive mood in Spanish is used to express doubts, wishes, desires, fears, and conditions that are uncertain or contrary to fact. When you use evitar que, you are expressing an intention or goal to prevent something from happening, which is inherently uncertain and not yet realized.
Let us examine the difference between indicative and subjunctive in this context:
Incorrect: Evito que mis estudiantes llegan tarde.
Correct: Evito que mis estudiantes lleguen tarde.
In the incorrect version, the verb llegan is in the indicative mood, suggesting a statement of fact. However, the correct version uses lleguen in the subjunctive mood, emphasizing that the goal is to prevent this action from happening. The subjunctive is mandatory in this construction regardless of whether the prevention actually succeeds or fails.
Using Evitar Que with Different Subject Types
When the Avoiding Subject is First Person Singular
When you are the one avoiding or preventing something, you will use yo evito que. In this case, you are preventing another person or entity from performing an action.
Yo evito que Juan coma demasiado azucar. (I prevent John from eating too much sugar.)
Yo evito que mi hermana se preocupe por los gastos. (I prevent my sister from worrying about expenses.)
Yo evito que el gato entre en el jardin. (I prevent the cat from entering the garden.)
Using Evitar Que with Second Person Singular
When addressing someone directly and referring to their action of avoiding or preventing something, you use tu evitas que. This form is used in informal contexts among friends, family, or peers.
Tu evitas que tu hijo juegue videojuegos por muchas horas. (You prevent your son from playing video games for many hours.)
Tu evitas que tus amigos sepan la verdad. (You prevent your friends from knowing the truth.)
Third Person Singular: He, She, It, or Formal You
The third person singular form evita que is extremely common in Spanish. It is used for he, she, it, or formal address with someone.
El manager evita que los empleados lleguen tarde. (The manager prevents the employees from arriving late.)
Mi madre evita que comamos comida chatarra. (My mother prevents us from eating junk food.)
La lluvia evita que el polvo contamine el aire. (Rain prevents dust from contaminating the air.)
Usted evita que sus clientes tengan problemas. (You prevent your clients from having problems.)
First Person Plural: We Avoid That
When you and others collectively prevent something, you use nosotros evitamos que.
Nosotros evitamos que el proyecto fracase. (We prevent the project from failing.)
Nosotros evitamos que nuestros vecinos hagan demasiado ruido. (We prevent our neighbors from making too much noise.)
Second Person Plural: You All Avoid That
In Spain, vosotros evitais que is used among friends in informal settings. In Latin America, the formal ustedes evitan que is more common.
Vosotros evitais que vuestros hermanos se peleen. (You all prevent your brothers from fighting.)
Ustedes evitan que los ninos salgan a la calle sin supervision. (You all prevent the children from going out on the street without supervision.)
Third Person Plural: They Avoid That
The third person plural form evitan que is frequently used to describe actions taken by multiple people or organizations.
Los gobiernos evitan que los contaminantes danen el medio ambiente. (Governments prevent pollutants from damaging the environment.)
Las companias evitan que sus empleados revelen informacion confidencial. (Companies prevent their employees from revealing confidential information.)
Los medicos evitan que los pacientes consuman alcohol durante el tratamiento. (Doctors prevent patients from consuming alcohol during treatment.)
Different Tenses with Evitar Que
While the verb in the subordinate clause is always subjunctive, the main verb evitar can be conjugated in different tenses depending on when the action of avoiding takes place.
Present Tense
Evitar in the present tense describes current prevention or general truths about avoiding something.
Evito que mis hijos vean programas violentos. (I prevent my children from watching violent programs.)
Past Tense: Preterite
The preterite form describes a specific past action where someone successfully prevented something.
Evite que Juan llegara tarde a la reunion. (I prevented Juan from arriving late to the meeting.)
Imperfect Tense
The imperfect describes habitual or ongoing prevention in the past.
Yo evitaba que mi hermano gastara demasiado dinero. (I used to prevent my brother from spending too much money.)
Conditional Tense
The conditional expresses what someone would do to prevent something under certain circumstances.
Yo evitaria que mis empleados trabajaran demasiadas horas. (I would prevent my employees from working too many hours.)
Common Mistakes When Using Evitar Que
Many Spanish learners make predictable errors when using evitar que. Being aware of these mistakes will help you avoid them in your own writing and speaking.
The most common error is using the indicative mood instead of the subjunctive. Remember that evitar que always requires the subjunctive in the subordinate clause, even if the prevention was successful. Another mistake is confusing evitar que with simply evitar plus an infinitive. While you can say Evito comer azucar (I avoid eating sugar), this structure requires the same subject. When subjects differ, you must use evitar que with the subjunctive.
Additionally, learners sometimes forget that the subject of the subordinate clause introduced by que must be explicitly stated or clearly implied. In English, we often omit the subject, but in Spanish, it is necessary for clarity and grammatical correctness.
Practical Examples and Real-Life Usage
To solidify your understanding, here are real-life examples of evitar que in context:
In a professional setting: Los supervisores evitan que sus equipos cometan errores costosos. (Supervisors prevent their teams from making costly mistakes.)
In a family context: Mi abuela evita que los ninos coman dulces antes de cenar. (My grandmother prevents the children from eating sweets before dinner.)
In environmental discussions: Las organizaciones ambientales evitan que las companias contaminen los rios. (Environmental organizations prevent companies from polluting the rivers.)
In health-related contexts: El doctor evita que sus pacientes realicen actividades fisicas extenuantes durante la recuperacion. (The doctor prevents his patients from performing strenuous physical activities during recovery.)
Conclusion
Mastering evitar que with different subjects is an important milestone in your Spanish learning journey. This structure allows you to express prevention, avoidance, and caution in nuanced ways that reflect real Spanish communication. Remember that the key to correct usage is always the subjunctive mood in the subordinate clause, regardless of the tense of the main verb or the subject performing the action of avoiding. By practicing with different subject pronouns and tenses, and by being mindful of common mistakes, you will soon use this phrase naturally and confidently in your conversations, writing, and comprehension of Spanish media. Continue practicing with diverse examples, and you will find that evitar que becomes an essential tool in your Spanish grammar toolkit.
