Breakdown of Ne te dépêche pas de peur de briser le cristal !
ne
not (used before the verb)
pas
not (used after the verb)
se dépêcher
to hurry
de peur de
for fear of
Questions & Answers about Ne te dépêche pas de peur de briser le cristal !
Why does this sentence use de peur de briser instead of the subjunctive de peur que...?
Because the implied subject is the same for both actions: you are the one hurrying, and you are the one who might break the crystal. When the subject is the same in both clauses, French uses de peur de (or de crainte de) + infinitive. If the subjects were different, you would use de peur que + subjunctive (for example: Je le tiens de peur qu'il ne tombe - I am holding it for fear it might fall).
Could I use de crainte de instead of de peur de in this sentence?
I remember saying Dépêche-toi ! for Hurry up!. Why is the pronoun te before the verb in this sentence?
This is a great refresher on imperative rules! In affirmative commands, reflexive pronouns attach to the end of the verb with a hyphen and change form (like toi). However, in negative commands, the pronoun stays in its normal spot right before the verb and keeps its regular form. That is why it becomes Ne te dépêche pas.
Is de peur de briser exactly the same as saying pour ne pas briser (in order not to break)?