What does prévenir in French mean?

What is the meaning of the word prévenir in French? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use prévenir in French.

The word prévenir in French means let know, let know , let know that, warn, warn , warn that, call, prevent, stop, forestall, avert, anticipate, foresee, prevention is better than cure, unexpectedly. To learn more, please see the details below.

Listen to pronunciation

Meaning of the word prévenir

let know

verbe transitif (annoncer à l'avance)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Si tu comptes passer me voir à Paris, préviens-moi pour que je puisse m'organiser.
If you're planning on paying me a visit in Paris, let me know so that I can get myself organised.

let know , let know that

verbe transitif (annoncer à l'avance)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Préviens ta mère de notre retard pour qu'elle puisse s'organiser en cuisine. Mon collègue m'a prévenu qu'il arriverait 10 minutes en retard et qu'il fallait commencer sans lui.
My colleague informed me he would be ten minutes late and we should start without him.

warn

verbe transitif (annoncer [qch] de négatif)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Je te préviens, si tu ne manges pas tes légumes, tu seras privé de dessert !
I'm warning you, if you don't eat your vegetables, you'll go without dessert!

warn , warn that

verbe transitif (mettre au courant)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Tu aurais pu me prévenir qu'ils étaient divorcés, je n'aurais pas fait d'impair.
You could have warned me they were divorced, then I wouldn't have committed that faux pas.

call

verbe transitif (alerter, faire venir)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Cet homme fait un malaise, vite, prévenez les pompiers ! Si vous aviez un accident, qui voudriez-vous que nous prévenions ?
If you have an accident, who would you like us to contact?

prevent, stop, forestall, avert

verbe transitif (soutenu (empêcher que [qch] arrive)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Ce dentifrice aide à prévenir les caries. Cette digue prévient les inondations.
This toothpaste helps to prevent cavities. This dike averts floods.

anticipate, foresee

verbe transitif (soutenu (satisfaire à un désir à l'avance)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
C'est un mari extra, il prévient mes moindres envies.
He's a fantastic husband, he anticipates my least desires.

prevention is better than cure

(mieux vaut prendre les devants)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Tu devrais installer un anti-virus, mieux vaut prévenir que guérir.

unexpectedly

locution adverbiale (sans signes précurseurs)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")

Let's learn French

So now that you know more about the meaning of prévenir in French, you can learn how to use them through selected examples and how to read them. And remember to learn the related words that we suggest. Our website is constantly updating with new words and new examples so you can look up the meanings of other words you don't know in French.

Do you know about French

French (le français) is a Romance language. Like Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, it comes from popular Latin, once used in the Roman Empire. A French-speaking person or country can be called a "Francophone". French is the official language in 29 countries. French is the fourth most spoken native language in the European Union. French ranks third in the EU, after English and German, and is the second most widely taught language after English. The majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa, with about 141 million Africans from 34 countries and territories who can speak French as a first or second language. French is the second most widely spoken language in Canada, after English, and both are official languages at the federal level. It is the first language of 9.5 million people or 29% and the second language of 2.07 million people or 6% of the entire population of Canada. In contrast to other continents, French has no popularity in Asia. Currently, no country in Asia recognizes French as an official language.