empêche

Empêche is a conjugated form of the French verb empêcher, meaning to prevent or to hinder. The infinitive is empêcher, and the term is used to describe actions that stop someone or something from occurring or continuing. In practice, empêcher is transitive and common constructions include empêcher quelqu’un de faire quelque chose (to prevent someone from doing something) and empêcher que + subjonctif (to prevent that something happens).

Etymology and related forms: empêcher derives from Old French empecher, from Latin impedire, related to the English impede. The word carries the sense of creating an obstacle or blocking a course of events. A related noun is empêchement, meaning hindrance or obstruction; the past participle is empêché, used with auxiliary avoir in passé composé.

Conjugation and grammar: as a regular -er verb, empêcher forms in the present tense as j’empêche, tu empêches, il empêche, nous empêchons, vous empêchez, ils empêchent. The imperative forms are empêche (tu), empêchons (nous), empêchez (vous). Other tenses follow standard -er verb patterns. The verb can be used in active clauses as well as in impersonal or passive constructions, and it can appear with negation to emphasize prevention.

Usage notes: empêcher is versatile in formal and informal registers. It often appears in legal, administrative, and technical contexts, as well as in everyday speech. Common synonyms include bloquer, entraver, and prévenir, though each has its own nuance.

See also: empêchement, empêcher de, empêcher que, impede (English cognate).