избежать + Genitive

The verb избежать is a classic example of a verb that feels transitive in English but requires an oblique case in Russian.

1. Aspectual Pair:

• Избегать (Imperfective): Used for habits, general tendencies, or the process of trying to stay away from something.
• Избежать (Perfective): Used for a specific instance where someone successfully prevented or escaped a result.

2. Case Requirement:
The object must be in the Genitive case. This applies to both concrete nouns (avoiding a hole) and abstract nouns (avoiding bankruptcy). Note that while the case is the same as possession, here it functions as an indirect object governed by the verb.

3. Usage Nuance:
This verb is mostly used for unwanted or negative things, like avoiding punishment, collisions, or errors. However, it can also be used with objectively positive or neutral things if the subject simply did not want that outcome (e.g., избежать славы — to avoid fame, or избежать огласки — to avoid publicity).

4. Verbal Nouns vs. Infinitives:
In modern standard Russian, the infinitive is not used after the perfective избежать; instead, a verbal noun in the Genitive is preferred (e.g., избежать встречи). However, its imperfective counterpart избегать can and frequently does take an infinitive (e.g., Он избегал смотреть ей в глаза — He avoided looking her in the eyes).

5. Formal Construction:
In official, technical, or legal contexts, you will frequently encounter the fixed prepositional phrase во избежание (in order to avoid). Note that избежание is simply the verbal noun derived from the verb, which makes its requirement for the Genitive case perfectly logical (e.g., во избежание недоразумений — to avoid misunderstandings).

6. Literary Variants and Participles:
In literary or older texts, you might encounter the alternative perfective form избегнуть. Additionally, the present passive participle избегаемый (avoided) is sometimes used in formal writing.