entretener Preterite Conjugation
entretener — to entertain
The preterite of entretener uses the irregular 'tuv' stem: entretuve, entretuviste, entretuvo.
entretener Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for specific past events where someone was entertained or delayed at a specific moment in time.
Notes on entretener in the Preterite
It follows the irregular 'u-stem' pattern of 'tener'. The endings are also special: they do not have accents (e, iste, o, imos, isteis, ieron).
Example Sentences
El payaso entretuvo a los niños durante una hora.
The clown entertained the children for an hour.
él/ella/usted
Perdón, me entretuve hablando con el vecino.
Sorry, I got held up (distracted) talking to the neighbor.
yo
Los músicos nos entretuvieron toda la noche.
The musicians entertained us all night.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Saying 'entretení' or 'entretenió'.
Correct: entretuve / entretuvo
Why: Learners often try to conjugate it as a regular -er verb, but it must follow the 'tener' stem change to 'tuv'.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: entretengo
Entretener follows the 'tener' pattern in the present: it has a 'go' in the yo form and an e-to-ie stem change.
Imperfect
yo: entretenía
Entretener is regular in the imperfect: entretenía, entretenías, entretenía.
Future
yo: entretendré
The future tense uses the irregular stem 'entretendr-': entretendré, entretendrás.
Conditional
yo: entretendría
The conditional uses the irregular stem 'entretendr-': entretendría, entretendrías.
Present Subjunctive
yo: entretenga
The present subjunctive uses the 'entreteng-' stem: entretenga, entretengas.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: entretuviera
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'entretuvier-' stem: entretuviera, entretuvieras.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: entretén
The imperative uses 'entretén' for tú and 'entretengan' for formal commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no entretengas
The negative imperative uses the present subjunctive: no entretengas, no entretenga.