Breakdown of Nous devons empêcher que le tireur n'utilise son fusil.
nous
we / us (object pronoun)
son
his/her/its (son, sa, ses)
utiliser
to use
devoir
to have to / must
Questions & Answers about Nous devons empêcher que le tireur n'utilise son fusil.
Why is there a n' before utilise if the English translation doesn't say "not"?
This is the ne explétif (expletive ne). It is often used in formal or careful French after verbs of preventing, avoiding, or fearing (like empêcher que). It doesn't make the sentence negative—it just emphasizes that you are trying to stop the action from happening. If you wanted a true negative ("prevent him from not using"), you would need a full ne ... pas.
Is utilise in the subjunctive mood here?
Yes! Verbs of prevention like empêcher que express a will or desire to stop an action, which triggers the subjunctive. Because utiliser is a regular -er verb, its present subjunctive form looks identical to the present indicative for the third-person singular (qu'il utilise).
Why does French use que (prevent that the shooter uses) instead of a preposition like English does?
Could I use an infinitive instead to mirror the English structure more closely?