retener
Spanish
Etymology
From Latin retinēre, present active infinitive of retineō.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /reteˈneɾ/ [re.t̪eˈneɾ]
- Rhymes: -eɾ
- Syllabification: re‧te‧ner
Verb
retener (first-person singular present retengo, first-person singular preterite retuve, past participle retenido)
- to retain, to remember
- Synonym: detentar
- to withhold, hold, to keep
- Synonyms: guardar, mantener, quedar
- to hold back
- No tengo muy claro si es lo que realmente quiero, por una parte quiero abrazarte y besarte, pero algo me retiene, no sé el que.
- I'm not sure if it is what I really want, because a part of me wants to hug you and kiss you, but something, I don't know what, is holding me back.
- to catch, to detain
- (chemistry) to sequester
Conjugation
Conjugation of retener (irregular; e-ie alternation) (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)
infinitive | retener | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gerund | reteniendo | ||||||
past participle | masculine | feminine | |||||
singular | retenido | retenida | |||||
plural | retenidos | retenidas | |||||
singular | plural | ||||||
1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | 1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | ||
indicative | yo | tú vos | él/ella/ello usted | nosotros nosotras | vosotros vosotras | ellos/ellas ustedes | |
present | retengo | retienestú retenésvos | retiene | retenemos | retenéis | retienen | |
imperfect | retenía | retenías | retenía | reteníamos | reteníais | retenían | |
preterite | retuve | retuviste | retuvo | retuvimos | retuvisteis | retuvieron | |
future | retendré | retendrás | retendrá | retendremos | retendréis | retendrán | |
conditional | retendría | retendrías | retendría | retendríamos | retendríais | retendrían | |
subjunctive | yo | tú vos | él/ella/ello usted | nosotros nosotras | vosotros vosotras | ellos/ellas ustedes | |
present | retenga | retengastú retengásvos2 | retenga | retengamos | retengáis | retengan | |
imperfect (ra) | retuviera | retuvieras | retuviera | retuviéramos | retuvierais | retuvieran | |
imperfect (se) | retuviese | retuvieses | retuviese | retuviésemos | retuvieseis | retuviesen | |
future1 | retuviere | retuvieres | retuviere | retuviéremos | retuviereis | retuvieren | |
imperative | — | tú vos | usted | nosotros nosotras | vosotros vosotras | ustedes | |
affirmative | reténtú retenévos | retenga | retengamos | retened | retengan | ||
negative | no retengas | no retenga | no retengamos | no retengáis | no retengan |
1Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
2Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.
Selected combined forms of retener (irregular; e-ie alternation)
These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.
singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | 1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | ||
with infinitive retener | |||||||
dative | retenerme | retenerte | retenerle, retenerse | retenernos | reteneros | retenerles, retenerse | |
accusative | retenerme | retenerte | retenerlo, retenerla, retenerse | retenernos | reteneros | retenerlos, retenerlas, retenerse | |
with gerund reteniendo | |||||||
dative | reteniéndome | reteniéndote | reteniéndole, reteniéndose | reteniéndonos | reteniéndoos | reteniéndoles, reteniéndose | |
accusative | reteniéndome | reteniéndote | reteniéndolo, reteniéndola, reteniéndose | reteniéndonos | reteniéndoos | reteniéndolos, reteniéndolas, reteniéndose | |
with informal second-person singular tú imperative retén | |||||||
dative | retenme | retente | retenle | retennos | not used | retenles | |
accusative | retenme | retente | retenlo, retenla | retennos | not used | retenlos, retenlas | |
with informal second-person singular vos imperative retené | |||||||
dative | reteneme | retenete | retenele | retenenos | not used | reteneles | |
accusative | reteneme | retenete | retenelo, retenela | retenenos | not used | retenelos, retenelas | |
with formal second-person singular imperative retenga | |||||||
dative | reténgame | not used | reténgale, reténgase | reténganos | not used | reténgales | |
accusative | reténgame | not used | reténgalo, reténgala, reténgase | reténganos | not used | reténgalos, reténgalas | |
with first-person plural imperative retengamos | |||||||
dative | not used | retengámoste | retengámosle | retengámonos | retengámoos | retengámosles | |
accusative | not used | retengámoste | retengámoslo, retengámosla | retengámonos | retengámoos | retengámoslos, retengámoslas | |
with informal second-person plural imperative retened | |||||||
dative | retenedme | not used | retenedle | retenednos | reteneos | retenedles | |
accusative | retenedme | not used | retenedlo, retenedla | retenednos | reteneos | retenedlos, retenedlas | |
with formal second-person plural imperative retengan | |||||||
dative | reténganme | not used | reténganle | reténgannos | not used | reténganles, reténganse | |
accusative | reténganme | not used | reténganlo, reténganla | reténgannos | not used | reténganlos, reténganlas, reténganse |
Related terms
- retén
- retención
- retenedor
- retenida
- retenimiento
- retentivo
Further reading
- “retener”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014