tenir
See also: teñir
Catalan
Alternative forms
- tindre, tendre
Etymology
From Old Catalan tenir, from Latin tenēre, teneō (with a change in verb class), from Proto-Italic *tenēō, stative from Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to stretch, draw”).
Pronunciation
- (Balearic, Central) IPA(key): /təˈni/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /teˈniɾ/
Verb
tenir (first-person singular present tinc, past participle tingut)
- to have, possess
- to hold
Conjugation
Conjugation of tenir (second conjugation with velar infix, type tenir)
| infinitive | tenir | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| present participle | tenint | ||||||
| past participle | masculine | feminine | |||||
| singular | tingut | tinguda | |||||
| plural | tinguts | tingudes | |||||
| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | jo | tu | ell/ella vostè | nosaltres nós | vosaltres vós | ells/elles vostès | |
| present | tinc | tens | té | tenim | teniu | tenen | |
| imperfect | tenia | tenies | tenia | teníem | teníeu | tenien | |
| future | tindré | tindràs | tindrà | tindrem | tindreu | tindran | |
| preterite | tinguí | tingueres | tingué | tinguérem | tinguéreu | tingueren | |
| conditional | tindria | tindries | tindria | tindríem | tindríeu | tindrien | |
| subjunctive | jo | tu | ell/ella vostè | nosaltres nós | vosaltres vós | ells/elles vostès | |
| present | tingui | tinguis | tingui | tinguem | tingueu | tinguin | |
| imperfect | tingués | tinguessis | tingués | tinguéssim | tinguéssiu | tinguessin | |
| imperative | — | tu | vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres vós | vostès | |
| — | té | tingui | tinguem | teniu | tinguin | ||
Derived terms
- captenir-se
- no tenir preu
- tenir en compte
- tenir lloc
- tenir present
- tenir raó
Related terms
- tenidor
- teniment
- tinent
References
- “tenir” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “tenir”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
- “tenir” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “tenir” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Franco-Provençal
Alternative forms
- tegnir
Etymology
From Vulgar Latin tenīre from classical Latin tenēre, present active infinitive of teneō.
Verb
tenir
- to hold
Conjugation
Conjugation of tenir — irregular| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | tenir | avêr tenu | |||||
| gerund | tenent | èyent tenu | |||||
| auxiliary verb | avêr | ||||||
| past participle | masculine | feminine | |||||
| singular | tenu | tenua | |||||
| plural | tenus | tenues | |||||
| singular | plural | ||||||
| 1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | 1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | ||
| indicative | jo (j') | tu (t') | il/elli | nos | vos | ils | |
| present | teno | tins | tint | tenens | tenids | tenont | |
| imperfect | tenien | tenias | teniêt | tenians | teniâds | teniant | |
| preterite | teni | tenis | tenit | tenirons | tenites, tenirâds | teniront | |
| future | tindré | tindrés | tindrat | tindrens | tindréds | tindront | |
| conditional | tindren | tindrias | tindrêt | tindrians | tindriâds | tindriant | |
| compound tenses | present perfect | present indicative of avêr + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | imperfect indicative of avêr + past participle | ||||||
| past anterior | preterite indicative of avêr + past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | future indicative of avêr + past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | conditional of avêr + past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que je (j') | que te (t') | qu'il/el | que nos | que vos | qu'ils/els | |
| present | teno | tenes | tene | tenans | teniâds | tenant | |
| imperfect | tenissen | tenissias | tenisse | tenissians | tenissiâds | tenissant | |
| compound tenses | past | present subjunctive of avêr + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | imperfect subjunctive of avêr + past participle | ||||||
| imperative | — | te | — | nos | vos | — | |
| tins | tenens | tenids | |||||
French
Etymology
From Middle French tenir, from Old French tenir, from Vulgar Latin *tenīre, from Latin tenēre, present active infinitive of teneō (“hold, keep”), from Proto-Italic *tenēō, stative from Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to stretch, draw”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tə.niʁ/
audio (file)
Verb
tenir
- (transitive) to have; to hold
- (transitive) to keep
- (transitive) to take (e.g., take into account, take into consideration); to consider; to account for; to reflect
- Peut-être devons-nous tenir compte de plusieurs problèmes. ― Maybe we should take several issues into account.
- (intransitive) to stay; to hold
- (reflexive, uncommon) to hold on
- Elle descend en se tenant aux racines. ― She comes down using the roots for handles (holding on to the roots).
- (reflexive) to hold oneself, to be standing
- Il se tenait dans le coin. ― He stood in the corner.
- (reflexive) to behave
- Tiens-toi bien. ― Behave yourself.
- (reflexive) to maintain, remain in a certain position or disposition
- Tiens-toi droit! ― Keep yourself straight!
- Elle se tient immobile sur la corde raide. ― She stays still on the tightrope.
- (transitive with à) to be attached to something, to be fond of something, to hold something dear; to wish to
- (reflexive, Quebec, slang) to hang out
- 1975, Beau Dommage, "Le Vent d'la ville", Passagers, Capitol Record (ST-70.055 [V], 4XL56355 [K7], CDL-56355 [CD]):
- "J'me tenais dans l'ouest de la ville, ça me fait plus peur l'exil"
- I used to hang out in the west end; exile doesn't scare me anymore.
- 1975, Beau Dommage, "Le Vent d'la ville", Passagers, Capitol Record (ST-70.055 [V], 4XL56355 [K7], CDL-56355 [CD]):
Conjugation
This is a verb in a group of -ir verbs. All verbs ending in -tenir, such as contenir and détenir, are conjugated this way. Such verbs are the only verbs whose the past historic and subjunctive imperfect endings do not start in one of these thematic vowels (-a-, -i-, -u-).
Conjugation of tenir (see also Appendix:French verbs)
| infinitive | simple | tenir | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| compound | avoir + past participle | ||||||
| present participle or gerund1 | simple | tenant /tə.nɑ̃/ | |||||
| compound | ayant + past participle | ||||||
| past participle | tenu /tə.ny/ | ||||||
| singular | plural | ||||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | je (j’) | tu | il, elle, on | nous | vous | ils, elles | |
| (simple tenses) | present | tiens /tjɛ̃/ | tiens /tjɛ̃/ | tient /tjɛ̃/ | tenons /tə.nɔ̃/ | tenez /tə.ne/ | tiennent /tjɛn/ |
| imperfect | tenais /tə.nɛ/ | tenais /tə.nɛ/ | tenait /tə.nɛ/ | tenions /tə.njɔ̃/ | teniez /tə.nje/ | tenaient /tə.nɛ/ | |
| past historic2 | tins /tɛ̃/ | tins /tɛ̃/ | tint /tɛ̃/ | tînmes /tɛ̃m/ | tîntes /tɛ̃t/ | tinrent /tɛ̃ʁ/ | |
| future | tiendrai /tjɛ̃.dʁe/ | tiendras /tjɛ̃.dʁa/ | tiendra /tjɛ̃.dʁa/ | tiendrons /tjɛ̃.dʁɔ̃/ | tiendrez /tjɛ̃.dʁe/ | tiendront /tjɛ̃.dʁɔ̃/ | |
| conditional | tiendrais /tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ | tiendrais /tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ | tiendrait /tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ | tiendrions /tjɛ̃.dʁi.jɔ̃/ | tiendriez /tjɛ̃.dʁi.je/ | tiendraient /tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ | |
| (compound tenses) | present perfect | present indicative of avoir + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| past anterior2 | past historic of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | future of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | conditional of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que je (j’) | que tu | qu’il, qu’elle | que nous | que vous | qu’ils, qu’elles | |
| (simple tenses) | present | tienne /tjɛn/ | tiennes /tjɛn/ | tienne /tjɛn/ | tenions /tə.njɔ̃/ | teniez /tə.nje/ | tiennent /tjɛn/ |
| imperfect2 | tinsse /tɛ̃s/ | tinsses /tɛ̃s/ | tînt /tɛ̃/ | tinssions /tɛ̃.sjɔ̃/ | tinssiez /tɛ̃.sje/ | tinssent /tɛ̃s/ | |
| (compound tenses) | past | present subjunctive of avoir + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect2 | imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | – | – | ||||
| simple | — | tiens /tjɛ̃/ | — | tenons /tə.nɔ̃/ | tenez /tə.ne/ | — | |
| compound | — | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | — | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | — | |
| 1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en. | |||||||
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
(Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81). | |||||||
This is a verb in a group of -ir verbs. All verbs ending in -tenir, such as contenir and détenir, are conjugated this way. Such verbs are the only verbs whose the past historic and subjunctive imperfect endings do not start in one of these thematic vowels (-a-, -i-, -u-).
Conjugation of se tenir (see also Appendix:French verbs)
| infinitive | simple | se tenir | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| compound | s'être + past participle | ||||||
| present participle or gerund1 | simple | se tenant /sə tə.nɑ̃/ | |||||
| compound | ayant or étant + past participle | ||||||
| past participle | tenu /tə.ny/ | ||||||
| singular | plural | ||||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | je (j’) | tu | il, elle, on | nous | vous | ils, elles | |
| (simple tenses) | present | me tiens /mə tjɛ̃/ | te tiens /tə tjɛ̃/ | se tient /sə tjɛ̃/ | nous tenons /nu tə.nɔ̃/ | vous tenez /vu tə.ne/ | se tiennent /sə tjɛn/ |
| imperfect | me tenais /mə tə.nɛ/ | te tenais /tə tə.nɛ/ | se tenait /sə tə.nɛ/ | nous tenions /nu tə.njɔ̃/ | vous teniez /vu tə.nje/ | se tenaient /sə tə.nɛ/ | |
| past historic2 | me tins /mə tɛ̃/ | te tins /tə tɛ̃/ | se tint /sə tɛ̃/ | nous tînmes /nu tɛ̃m/ | vous tîntes /vu tɛ̃t/ | se tinrent /sə tɛ̃ʁ/ | |
| future | me tiendrai /mə tjɛ̃.dʁe/ | te tiendras /tə tjɛ̃.dʁa/ | se tiendra /sə tjɛ̃.dʁa/ | nous tiendrons /nu tjɛ̃.dʁɔ̃/ | vous tiendrez /vu tjɛ̃.dʁe/ | se tiendront /sə tjɛ̃.dʁɔ̃/ | |
| conditional | me tiendrais /mə tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ | te tiendrais /tə tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ | se tiendrait /sə tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ | nous tiendrions /nu tjɛ̃.dʁi.jɔ̃/ | vous tiendriez /vu tjɛ̃.dʁi.je/ | se tiendraient /sə tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ | |
| (compound tenses) | present perfect | present indicative of s'être + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | imperfect indicative of s'être + past participle | ||||||
| past anterior2 | past historic of s'être + past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | future of s'être + past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | conditional of s'être + past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que je (j’) | que tu | qu’il, qu’elle | que nous | que vous | qu’ils, qu’elles | |
| (simple tenses) | present | me tienne /mə tjɛn/ | te tiennes /tə tjɛn/ | se tienne /sə tjɛn/ | nous tenions /nu tə.njɔ̃/ | vous teniez /vu tə.nje/ | se tiennent /sə tjɛn/ |
| imperfect2 | me tinsse /mə tɛ̃s/ | te tinsses /tə tɛ̃s/ | se tînt /sə tɛ̃/ | nous tinssions /nu tɛ̃.sjɔ̃/ | vous tinssiez /vu tɛ̃.sje/ | se tinssent /sə tɛ̃s/ | |
| (compound tenses) | past | present subjunctive of s'être + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect2 | imperfect subjunctive of s'être + past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | – | – | ||||
| simple | — | tiens-toi /tjɛ̃.twa/ | — | tenons-nous /tə.nɔ̃.nu/ | tenez-vous /tə.ne.vu/ | — | |
| compound | — | simple imperative of s'être + past participle | — | simple imperative of s'être + past participle | simple imperative of s'être + past participle | — | |
| 1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en. | |||||||
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
(Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81). | |||||||
Derived terms
- à l'impossible nul n'est tenu
- compte tenu de
- mieux vaut tenir que courir
- n'avoir qu'à bien se tenir
- ne tenir qu'à un cheveu
- ne tenir qu'à un fil
- qu'à cela ne tienne
- séance tenante
- se le tenir pour dit
- s'en tenir là
- se tenir à carreau
- tenir à
- tenir à cœur
- tenir à l'œil
- tenir à quelque chose comme à la prunelle de ses yeux
- tenir au corps
- tenir au courant
- tenir au jus
- tenir bon
- tenir chaud
- tenir compagnie
- tenir compte
- tenir de
- tenir debout
- tenir en compte
- tenir en échec
- tenir en grande estime
- tenir en haleine
- tenir en haute estime
- tenir en place
- tenir en respect
- tenir la barre
- tenir la boutique
- tenir la cadence
- tenir la chandelle
- tenir la distance
- tenir la dragée haute
- tenir la jambe
- tenir l'alcool
- tenir la route
- tenir le bon bout
- tenir le coup
- tenir le haut du pavé
- tenir le pot droit
- tenir le rythme
- tenir les rênes
- tenir lieu
- tenir parole
- tenir pour acquis
- tenir pour acquis
- tenir rigueur
- tenir sa langue
- tenir table ouverte
- tenir tête
Related terms
- abstenir
- adtenir
- appartenir
- attenir
- contenir
- contretenir
- détenir
- maintenir
- obtenir
- retenir
- retenir à cœur
- soutenir
- tenir à
- tenir de
- tenir le coup
- tiens
Descendants
- Saint Dominican Creole French: tini
Further reading
- “tenir”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams
- nitre, rient, terni, Terni
Ido
Verb
tenir
- past infinitive of tenar
Middle French
Etymology
From Old French tenir.
Noun
tenir
- to hold
Descendants
- French: tenir
- Saint Dominican Creole French: tini
References
- Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881) (tenir, supplement)
Norman
Etymology
From Old French tenir, from Latin tenēre, present active infinitive of teneō (“hold, keep”).
Verb
tenir
- to possess; to have
- to hold
Conjugation
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Conjugation of the verb « tenir » in Norman| infinitive | tenir | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gerund | tenant | ||||||
| auxiliary | aveir1 | ||||||
| past participle | masculine | feminine | |||||
| singular | tenu | tenue | |||||
| plural | tenus | tenues | |||||
| singular | plural | ||||||
| 1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | 1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | ||
| indicative | je (j') | tu (t') | il, alle, nos | je (nos) | vos | il, alles | |
| present | tiens | tiens | tient | tenoms | tenez | tiennent | |
| imperfect | teneis | teneis | teneit | tenioms | teniez | teneient | |
| preterite | tins | tins | tint | tînmes | tîntes | tîntrent | |
| future | tiendrai | tiendras | tiendra | tiendroms | tiendrez | tiendront | |
| conditional | tiendreis | tiendreis | tiendreit | tiendrioms | tiendriez | tiendreient | |
| subjunctive | que je (j') | que te (t') | qu'il, qu'alle, que nos | que je (que nos) | que vos | qu'il, qu'alles | |
| present | tienne | tiennes | tienne | tenioms | teniez | tiennent | |
| imperfect | tinsse | tinsses | tînt tinsse | tinssioms | tinssiez | tinssent | |
| imperative | — | tu | — | je (nos) | vos | — | |
| tiens | tenoms | tenez | |||||
| 1Used with past participles. | |||||||
Occitan
Pronunciation
Audio (Languedocien) (file)
Verb
tenir
- Alternative form of téner
Old French
Alternative forms
- tenoir (rare)
Etymology
From Vulgar Latin *tenīre, from Latin tenēre, present active infinitive of teneō (“hold, keep”).
Verb
tenir
- to possess; to have
- to hold
Conjugation
This verb conjugates as a third-group verb. This verb has a stressed present stem tien distinct from the unstressed stem ten, as well as other irregularities. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.
Conjugation of tenir (see also Appendix:Old French verbs)
| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | tenir | avoir tenu | |||||
| gerund | en tenant | Use the gerund of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| present participle | tenant | ||||||
| past participle | tenu | ||||||
| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | jo | tu | il | nos | vos | il | |
| simple tenses | present | tieng, tien | tiens | tient | tenons | tenez | tienent |
| imperfect | tenoie, teneie | tenoies, teneies | tenoit, teneit | teniiens, teniens | teniiez, teniez | tenoient, teneient | |
| preterite | tin | tenis | tint | tenimes | tenistes | tindrent, tinrent | |
| future | tendrai | tendras | tendra | tendrons | tendroiz, tendreiz, tendrez | tendront | |
| conditional | tendroie, tendreie | tendroies, tendreies | tendroit, tendreit | tendriiens, tendriens | tendriiez, tendriez | tendroient, tendreient | |
| compound tenses | present perfect | Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| past anterior | Use the preterite tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que jo | que tu | qu’il | que nos | que vos | qu’il | |
| simple tenses | present | tiegne | tiegnes | tiegne | tiegniens, tiegnons | tiegniez | tiegnent |
| imperfect | tenisse | tenisses | tenist | tenissons, tenissiens | tenissoiz, tenissez, tenissiez | tenissent | |
| compound tenses | past | Use the present subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | tu | – | nos | vos | – | |
| — | tien | — | tenons | tenez | — | ||
Descendants
- Middle French: tenir
- French: tenir
- Saint Dominican Creole French: tini
- French: tenir
- Norman: tenir
- Walloon: tni, tini
- →⇒ English: tennis (see there for further descendants) (via second-person imperative tenez)
Old Occitan
Alternative forms
- tener
Etymology
From Vulgar Latin *tenīre, from Latin tenēre, present active infinitive of teneō (“hold, keep”).
Verb
tenir
- to possess; to have
- to hold
Descendants
- Occitan: téner, tendre, ténguer, tenir, tiéner
References
- Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002), “tenēre”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 13: T–Ti, page 209