‘免得’ is a conjunction meaning ‘so as not to’ or ‘in order to avoid’. It introduces a clause expressing an undesirable outcome that the main action aims to prevent. The character 免 means ‘to avoid’ or ‘to exempt’, while 得 here functions as a structural particle indicating purpose or result — together, they form a fixed expression used exclusively before a verb phrase describing the unwanted consequence.

This word appears frequently in spoken and written Mandarin, especially in advice, warnings, or cautious suggestions. It always follows the main clause (often with modal verbs like 要, 应该, or imperative forms) and precedes the negative consequence. Unlike English ‘so that not’, ‘免得’ cannot stand alone and must be embedded in a two-clause structure where the first clause is the preventive action and the second is the potential problem being avoided.