vältellä

Vältellä is a Finnish verb meaning to avoid, evade, or steer clear of something. It refers to deliberately staying away from a person, situation, risk, or obligation, or to dealing with a matter indirectly so as not to engage directly. The act is usually purposeful and strategic rather than accidental.

Grammatical notes: Vältellä is a transitive verb and is typically used with a target in a direct object position, often in the partitive case (for example vältellä riskejä, vältellä kysymyksiä). The noun form vältely denotes the act of avoidance and is used in more general discussions of avoidance behavior or strategy. Vältellä can appear in various tenses and moods just like other Finnish verbs, and it can be combined with infinitive constructions such as vältellä tekemästä jotakin (to avoid doing something).

Usage and nuance: Vältellä often carries a nuance of deliberate dodging or skirting around a topic, responsibility, or risk. It can be used in everyday language as well as in more formal or written contexts. In many situations, vältellä and the synonym välttää convey similar meanings, but vältellä emphasizes the act of avoidance or evasion as a deliberate tactic.

Etymology and related terms: Vältellä is related to the verb vält- and is connected semantically with välttää (to avoid) and välttelemä (to evade or dodge, especially in more informal or nuanced contexts). Related forms include vältely (the act of avoidance) and the related verbs or nouns that describe avoidance strategies.