This is the 1917th most frequent French word.
prévenir
To warn or to inform.
Here, 'prévenir' means 'to inform' or 'to notify', emphasizing the act of telling someone about something they should be aware of.
Il faut prévenir le médecin si vous ressentez des douleurs sévères.
You must notify the doctor if you experience severe pain.
In this context, 'prévenir' is used to mean 'to warn', focusing on providing information about potential risks to avert an undesirable outcome.
Pour éviter les accidents, il est important de prévenir les conducteurs des dangers imminents.
To prevent accidents, it is important to warn drivers about imminent dangers.
Here, 'prévenir' refers to 'to prevent' or 'to take precautions', highlighting actions taken to stop something from occurring before it happens.