Translation guide
The English word 'escape' covers physical fleeing, avoiding danger, mental relief, and accidental release. Japanese uses different words depending on what is being escaped and how.
To flee from a dangerous situation, a pursuer, or a confined space.
The most common verb for physically running away or escaping from a place, person, or situation. Intransitive.
泥棒は裏口から逃げた。
The thief escaped through the back door.
火事から逃げる。
Escape from a fire.
To escape from a confined space or dangerous situation, often with a sense of breaking out. More dramatic than 逃げる.
彼は刑務所から脱出した。
He escaped from prison.
密室からの脱出ゲーム。
An escape room game.
To flee as a fugitive, often from authorities or after a crime. Formal or news context.
犯人は海外へ逃亡した。
The criminal fled overseas.
To get out of doing something, avoid a duty, or evade a problem.
To escape from a bad situation, duty, or fate. Often used with abstract nouns like 責任 (responsibility) or 現実 (reality).
彼は責任を逃れようとした。
He tried to escape responsibility.
現実から逃れることはできない。
You can't escape from reality.
To avoid or evade something, often a problem, danger, or topic. More proactive than 逃れる.
彼は質問を回避した。
He evaded the question.
リスクを回避する。
Avoid risk.
Literally 'make an escape route', meaning to leave oneself a way out of a difficult situation or commitment.
彼はいつも逃げ道を作っている。
He always leaves himself an escape route.
To take a break from reality, relax, or find distraction from daily life.
Escapism; avoiding reality by immersing oneself in fantasy or entertainment. Often used as a noun or する-verb.
映画を見て現実逃避する。
I escape reality by watching movies.
それはただの現実逃避だ。
That's just escapism.
To take a breather or a short break to relieve stress. Not a direct translation of 'escape', but a natural way to express taking a mental break.
たまには息抜きが必要だ。
Sometimes you need an escape (a break).
When something leaks, spills, or comes out unintentionally.
The Esc key on a computer keyboard.
The Esc key. Often shortened to エスケープ or just エスケ.
エスケープキーを押してください。
Please press the escape key.
逃げる is the general word for running away from something physically or metaphorically. 逃れる implies escaping from an undesirable situation or obligation, often abstract. 脱出する is used for breaking out of a confined space or dangerous situation, like a prison or a burning building.
犬が逃げた。
The dog ran away.
彼は借金から逃れられない。
He can't escape from his debts.
遭難者が洞窟から脱出した。
The stranded person escaped from the cave.
English 'escape' is very broad. Using 逃げる for 'escape reality' or 'gas escaping' would sound unnatural. Use the specific terms provided for each meaning.
He let the secret escape (leaked it).