Nous n’avons qu’à chercher l’infinitif dans le dictionnaire si nous hésitons.

Not really. Here, ne ... que is a restrictive structure, not a normal negative one.

• ne ... pas = not
• ne ... jamais = never
• ne ... que = only / just

So Nous n’avons qu’à chercher... means something like We only have to look up... or We just need to look up...

In other words, que is limiting the action, not negating it.

This is a very common French pattern:

n’avoir qu’à + infinitive = to only have to / to just need to

So:

• Nous n’avons qu’à chercher = We only have to look up
• Tu n’as qu’à demander = You just have to ask
• Vous n’avez qu’à attendre = You only need to wait

It often suggests that the solution is simple or straightforward.

This is called elision. In French, certain words drop their final vowel before a following word that begins with a vowel or silent h.

So:

• ne avons becomes n’avons
• que à becomes qu’à

This happens for pronunciation reasons and is completely standard.

Because it comes after the structure n’avoir qu’à, which is followed by an infinitive.

So the pattern is:

• avoir à + infinitive
• here more specifically: n’avoir qu’à + infinitive

That is why French uses chercher and not a conjugated form like cherchons.

Here l’infinitif is a noun, not a verb form being used as a verb.

It means the infinitive form of the verb — the basic dictionary form, such as:

• parler
• finir
• prendre

So chercher l’infinitif dans le dictionnaire means looking up the verb under its base form.

Because infinitif is a masculine singular noun, so it normally takes le.

• le infinitif is impossible because of the vowel sound
• le becomes l’ before a vowel

So:

• le dictionnaire
• l’infinitif

This is the same kind of elision as in n’avons and qu’à.

Because after si meaning if, French normally uses the indicative, not the subjunctive.

So:

• si nous hésitons = if we hesitate / if we are unsure

This is the standard pattern for a real condition:

• si + present, then present/future/etc.

For example:

• Si tu veux, on part.
• Si elle hésite, elle peut vérifier.

A useful rule: no subjunctive after conditional si.

It comes from hésiter, which literally means to hesitate, but in this kind of sentence it often means:

• to be unsure
• to be uncertain
• to have doubts

So si nous hésitons is not only about physically pausing; it can mean if we’re not sure which verb form is correct.

Because French usually uses dans for looking something up inside a book or reference work.

So:

• chercher un mot dans le dictionnaire
• chercher une information dans un livre

English sometimes says in the dictionary, and French works the same way here.

Because French normally requires an explicit subject pronoun with each finite verb.

There are two conjugated verbs here:

• avons
• hésitons

Each one needs its subject:

• Nous n’avons...
• si nous hésitons

English can sometimes feel lighter or more compact, but French usually keeps the subject visible.

Often, yes. In spoken French, people very commonly use on instead of nous for we.

So in conversation, you might hear:

On n’a qu’à chercher l’infinitif dans le dictionnaire si on hésite.

That sounds very natural in everyday speech.

However, nous is still perfectly correct, and it can sound a bit more formal or careful, especially in writing.