避免 (bì miǎn) is a transitive verb meaning 'to avoid' or 'to prevent'—especially actions, situations, or outcomes that are undesirable, harmful, or risky. The character 避 means 'to evade' or 'to shun', while 免 means 'to exempt' or 'to spare', so together they emphasize actively taking steps to keep something from happening. It’s commonly used in formal and semi-formal contexts, including health advice, safety instructions, academic writing, and daily planning.

This word typically appears before a verb phrase or noun phrase indicating what is being avoided (e.g., 避免吃油炸食品, 避免感冒). It rarely stands alone and almost never takes aspect markers like 了 or 过. While it can be used in spoken Chinese, it sounds more deliberate and cautious than casual alternatives like 别…了 or 少…, making it especially common in warnings, recommendations, and official communications.