Préparons le défibrillateur, d’autant plus que l’arrêt cardiaque est grave.

Let us prepare the defibrillator, all the more because cardiac arrest is serious.

Breakdown of Préparons le défibrillateur, d’autant plus que l’arrêt cardiaque est grave.

• être: to be
• préparer: to prepare
• grave: serious
• l’arrêt cardiaque: the cardiac arrest

Questions & Answers about Préparons le défibrillateur, d’autant plus que l’arrêt cardiaque est grave.

Why does préparons mean let’s prepare here?

Préparons is the nous imperative form of préparer.

In French, the imperative is used for commands and suggestions. With nous, it often means let’s ... in English:

• Préparons = Let’s prepare
• Allons-y = Let’s go
• Regardons = Let’s look

So Préparons le défibrillateur means Let’s prepare the defibrillator.

Why is there no subject pronoun before préparons?

In the imperative, French normally does not use the subject pronoun.

So instead of saying:

• Nous préparons le défibrillateur = We are preparing the defibrillator

you get:

• Préparons le défibrillateur = Let’s prepare the defibrillator

That is completely normal for commands and exhortations.

Why is it le défibrillateur and not un défibrillateur?

French often uses the definite article where English might sometimes use a/an or no article at all, especially when the thing is specific in the situation.

Here, le défibrillateur suggests the defibrillator relevant to the emergency context, not just any defibrillator in general.

So:

• le défibrillateur = the defibrillator

In a real medical setting, this sounds natural because everyone knows which device is being referred to.