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.
The thief escaped through the back door.
To escape from a confined space or dangerous situation, often with a sense of breaking out. More dramatic than 逃げる.
He escaped from prison.
To flee as a fugitive, often from authorities or after a crime. Formal or news context.
The criminal fled overseas.
To get out of doing something, avoid a duty, or evade a problem.
To take a break from reality, relax, or find distraction from daily life.
When something leaks, spills, or comes out unintentionally.
For gas, liquid, light, or sound leaking or escaping. Intransitive.
The Esc key on a computer keyboard.
The Esc key. Often shortened to エスケープ or just エスケ.
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.
Escape from a fire.
密室からの脱出ゲーム。
An escape room game.
To escape from a bad situation, duty, or fate. Often used with abstract nouns like 責任 (responsibility) or 現実 (reality).
He tried to escape responsibility.
You can't escape from reality.
To avoid or evade something, often a problem, danger, or topic. More proactive than 逃れる.
He evaded the question.
Avoid risk.
Literally 'make an escape route', meaning to leave oneself a way out of a difficult situation or commitment.
He always leaves himself an escape route.
Escapism; avoiding reality by immersing oneself in fantasy or entertainment. Often used as a noun or する-verb.
I escape reality by watching movies.
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.
Sometimes you need an escape (a break).
Gas is escaping.
A sigh escaped (my lips).
Transitive version of 漏れる; to let something leak or escape.
He let the secret escape (leaked it).
He can't escape from his debts.
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.
Her name escapes me.
Use 'can't remember' instead of a literal translation.