Skip to content

iwas

iwás with stress marks

avoid

verb i-WAS Native origin Less Common

Usage Note

Iwas means to deliberately sidestep a person, place, or situation. Use umiwas when the person avoiding is the focus and iwasan when targeting the thing being avoided — a distinction common in health advisories and interpersonal advice.

Examples

Beginner

" Umiwas siya sa gulo. "

Natural Translation

He/She avoided trouble.

Literal Translation

Avoided he/she from trouble.

Intermediate

" Kailangan ng iwas sa gulo. "

Natural Translation

Avoidance of trouble is needed.

Literal Translation

Need of avoid in-the trouble.

Advanced

" Mas mabuti pang umiwas ka muna sa mga taong palaging nag-aaway para hindi ka madamay sa kanilang problema. "

Natural Translation

It's better for you to stay away from people who are always fighting so you don't get dragged into their problems.

Literal Translation

More good still avoid you first from the people always fighting so not you involved in their problem.

Free · iOS & Android

Take Tagalog with you

The full course, a 12,500-word dictionary, and flashcards that make every word stick — free to start on iOS and Android.

Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.

How Tagalog words work

Actor Focus Verbs

Object Focus Verbs

Explore Tagalog by topic

Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.