Learn Hardcore German: Die Frist ist knapp, doch das lässt sich vermeiden. - The deadline is tight, yet that can be avoided.

Frist: a time limit or period within which something must be done (often legal/administrative).
Termin: a fixed appointment/date/time on a calendar.
English “deadline” usually maps to Frist, not Termin.
Also useful: Stichtag = a specific due date/cutoff day.

Why is it die Frist? What’s the plural?

Frist is feminine: die Frist (Nom. sg.). Plural: die Fristen. Example declension: Nom. pl. die Fristen, Gen. sg. der Frist.

Why is Frist capitalized?

All German nouns are capitalized, so Frist takes a capital F.

What does knapp mean here? Are there alternatives?

Here knapp means “tight/short/limited.” Alternatives:

kurz (short),
eng bemessen (tightly calculated),
knapp bemessen (tightly allotted).
Note: knapp can also mean “barely/just under,” as in knapp 10 Minuten.

Could I say Die Frist wird knapp instead of ist knapp?

Yes.

ist knapp = it is already tight (state).
wird knapp = it’s becoming tight (developing situation, time is running out).

What is doch doing here? How does it compare to aber, jedoch, and trotzdem?

Here doch is a coordinating conjunction meaning “but/yet,” like aber. Differences:

aber/doch: simple contrast; verb stays in 2nd position after the conjunction.
jedoch: more formal; behaves like an adverbial connector. If it’s first in the clause, it takes the first slot and triggers inversion: …, jedoch lässt sich das vermeiden.
trotzdem: “nevertheless”; marks concession rather than mere contrast: Die Frist ist knapp, trotzdem lässt sich das vermeiden.

Is the comma before doch required?

Yes. It separates two independent main clauses linked by a coordinating conjunction: …, doch ….

What does das refer to? Why not sie?

Das is a demonstrative pronoun referring to the whole situation (“the fact that the deadline is tight”).
Using sie would refer to the noun Frist itself (“the deadline”), which would imply “the deadline can be avoided,” an odd idea. We avoid the situation, not the deadline.

How does lässt sich vermeiden work?

It’s lassen + sich + Infinitiv, a “middle voice” that roughly means “can be …”:

Das lässt sich vermeiden ≈ “That can be avoided.”
It’s impersonal and concise, similar in meaning to man kann das vermeiden or das kann vermieden werden.

Are there alternative ways to phrase das lässt sich vermeiden?

Yes, with slight stylistic differences:

Das ist vermeidbar (adjectival, neutral/technical).
Man kann das vermeiden (more colloquial).
Das kann vermieden werden (passive, formal/neutral).

Why is sich placed before vermeiden?

In main clauses, the finite verb is in 2nd position (lässt), and non-finite elements go to the end. The reflexive sich sits in the middle field before the final infinitive: das [Subject] lässt [V2] sich [reflexive] vermeiden [Infinitiv].

Why lässt with ß? How is lassen conjugated here?

Present tense: ich lasse, du lässt, er/sie/es lässt, wir lassen, ihr lasst, sie lassen.
The ß appears in du lässt and er/sie/es lässt due to the vowel length. (In Swiss Standard German, ss is used.)

Could I use verhindern instead of vermeiden?

Sometimes, but nuance differs:

vermeiden = avoid/steer clear of something.
verhindern = prevent/stop something from happening.
Here Das lässt sich vermeiden sounds more natural; verhindern would focus on actively blocking an event.

Can doch be moved into the second clause as a modal particle?

Yes, but the meaning shifts:

Das lässt sich doch vermeiden. = “Surely that can be avoided,” adding a persuasive/confirming tone. That’s different from …, doch …, which simply contrasts two clauses.

Is Die Frist ist knapp idiomatic? Any common collocations?

Yes. Common pairings:

eine Frist ist/bleibt/wird knapp
eine Frist ist knapp (bemessen)
eine Frist einhalten/verlängern/versäumen/verlieren
Also frequent: Die Zeit ist knapp (“time is tight”).