Empêchent

"Empêchent" is the third-person plural present indicative form of the French verb "empêcher." This verb translates to "to prevent," "to hinder," "to impede," or "to stop" in English. It is used to describe an action or a situation that obstructs or blocks another action or event from happening.

The verb "empêcher" typically takes a direct object, which is the person or thing being prevented from doing something, and often uses the preposition "de" followed by an infinitive to indicate what is being prevented. For example, "La pluie empêche les enfants de jouer dehors" translates to "The rain prevents the children from playing outside." In this sentence, "la pluie" (the rain) is the subject, "empêche" is the verb, "les enfants" (the children) is the direct object, and "de jouer dehors" (from playing outside) is the infinitive phrase indicating the prevented action.

"Empêchent" can also be used in more abstract contexts. For instance, "Les difficultés financières empêchent la réalisation du projet" means "Financial difficulties prevent the realization of the project." Here, the verb signifies that the difficulties are obstructing the project's completion. The understanding of "empêchent" relies on its context within a sentence to convey the specific nature of the prevention or hindrance.