prevenir

to prevent

verb preh-beh-NEER Rare

Origin: Latin praevenire ('to come before').

Also means

to warn

Usage Note

Prevenir is irregular like venir (prevengo, previne, prevendré). Its two main senses — 'to stop something from happening' and 'to warn someone' — can both appear in the same text, so context is essential. The proverb más vale prevenir que curar ('prevention is better than cure') is widely known. The adjective preventivo ('preventive') is common in medical Spanish.

Examples

"Hay que prevenir accidentes en el trabajo."

Natural Translation

Accidents at work must be prevented.

Literal Translation

There-is-that to-prevent accidents in the work.

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