empêcher
/ɑ̃.pɛ.ʃe/
To prevent in French is empêcher.
The verb empêcher means to keep from happening.
Meaning: to keep from happening (verb)
Which one should you use?
Be careful not to confuse empêcher with prévenir. While prévenir can mean 'to prevent' in specific contexts like prévenir un accident, it more commonly means 'to warn' or 'to notify' someone.
How does it change in a sentence?
When empêcher is used with a direct object to mean preventing an event or thing, it does not require a preposition. The verb 'empêcher' is typically followed by the preposition 'de' before an infinitive to prevent someone from doing something.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /ɑ̃.pɛ.ʃe/.
Did you know?
- The word empêcher comes from the Latin impedicāre, which literally means 'to shackle the feet'. This imagery of physically tying someone's legs remains in the word's core meaning of blocking progress.
- The verb empêcher can be used reflexively as s'empêcher to mean 'to resist' or 'to stop oneself'. A common phrase je ne peux pas m'empêcher de is used when someone simply cannot stop themselves from doing something.
- The English word 'impeach' is a distant cousin of empêcher, both sharing roots in the Latin 'impedicare', which originally meant 'to shackle the feet'.
Examples in context
- Qui peut l'empêcher ?Who can prevent it?The first sentence uses empêcher to ask who is able to prevent it.Tatoeba #3245349 by sacredceltic, translation #2270201 by _undertoad
- Tom a tenté d'empêcher cela.Tom tried to prevent that from happening.The second sentence uses empêcher to describe an attempt to prevent that from happening.Tatoeba #12169070 by zogwarg, translation #6434503 by CK
- C'est ce que je veux empêcher.That's what I want to prevent.The third sentence uses empêcher to express a desire to prevent.Tatoeba #12303619 by felix63, translation #12304649 by Miktsoanit
- Le port du casque permet d'empêcher les accidents de vélo.Wearing a helmet helps prevent bicycle accidents.
- Les mesures prises ont empêché le vol de données confidentielles.The measures taken prevented the theft of confidential data.
- Nous devons éviter les erreurs du passé.We must prevent/avoid the mistakes of the past.
- Il est important d'éviter les conflits diplomatiques.It is important to prevent/avoid diplomatic conflicts.
- Évite de manger trop de sucreries pour prévenir les caries.Avoid eating too many sweets to prevent cavities.
- Faisons tout pour faire en sorte que cela n'arrive pas.Let's do everything to prevent that from happening.
- J'ai mis en place des mesures pour faire en sorte qu'il ne soit pas en retard.I implemented measures to prevent him from being late.
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are discussing how to stop a leak in the roof.
- ChloéOn doit réparer le toit pour empêcher les fuites.We must repair the roof to prevent leaks.
- NathanTu as raison, c'est urgent.You are right, it is urgent.
- ChloéRien ne peut empêcher la pluie de tomber.Nothing can prevent the rain from falling.
- NathanAlors, appelons un expert maintenant.Then, let's call an expert now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “prevent” translations and entries empêcher, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries empêcher, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
