evitara

Evitara is the imperfect subjunctive form of the Spanish verb evitar, meaning "to avoid." It is used in dependent clauses to express hypothetical, non-real, or doubtful actions, typically in sentences with a main clause in a conditional or past tense. The form agrees with the subject: yo evitara, tú evitaras, él/ella/Ud evitara, nosotros evitaramos, vosotros evitarais, ellos evitaran. The imperfect subjunctive also appears in the -se variant, evitase, which is common in some dialects and registers.

Etymology and morphology: evitar comes from Latin evitare, and evitara preserves the stem evitare with the imperfect subjunctive endings. The form is employed across genres, including literature and formal speech, to convey unreal or contingent situations in the past or present.

Usage notes: In si-clauses, evitara can appear to express unreal conditions in the past or present, often with a main clause in the conditional, as in "Si yo evitara ese error, obtendríamos mejores resultados." It also appears in subordinate clauses after verbs of wishing, hoping, or doubt, such as "Quería que él evitara la discusión." In everyday speech, many speakers prefer other tenses or the -se variant evitase in some regions.

See also: Spanish verb conjugation, imperfect subjunctive, evitar.