Obcházet

Obcházet is a Czech verb meaning to go around, bypass, or circumvent. It covers both physical movement around an obstacle and figurative avoidance of rules, procedures, or restrictions. The term is common in everyday speech as well as in journalism, law, and technology when describing actions that sidestep a barrier or requirement.

In physical contexts, obcházet can describe moving around something rather than through it, for example to walk around a barrier or a building: "obcházet překážku" or "obcházet dům." It can also refer to taking a route that avoids a restricted area.

In figurative usage, obcházet is used to denote evading rules, regulations, or scrutiny. Common collocations include "obcházet zákony" (to circumvent the law) and "obcházet pravidla" (to bypass rules). It can also mean avoiding direct contact or detection, as in "obcházet kontrolu" (to bypass inspection). The sense can carry a negative or critical nuance depending on context.

Grammatical notes: obcházet is imperfective, describing ongoing or repeated action; its perfective counterpart is "obejít" (to bypass or go around once and completely). The noun form "obcházení" denotes the act of bypassing, and the present participle "obcházející" is used in a range of constructions. The term is widely understood in Czech and is used across registers.