mantener Preterite Conjugation
mantener — to keep
The preterite of mantener is highly irregular, using a 'uv' stem: mantuve, mantuviste, mantuvo, mantuvimos, mantuvisteis, mantuvieron.
mantener Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to describe maintaining a state or keeping a promise during a specific, completed timeframe in the past.
Notes on mantener in the Preterite
Mantener follows the pattern of 'tener'. The stem changes to 'mantuv-' and it uses irregular endings without accents (e.g., -e instead of -í, -o instead of -ió).
Example Sentences
Mantuve la calma durante el examen.
I kept my cool during the exam.
yo
Ella mantuvo su promesa hasta el final.
She kept her promise until the end.
él/ella/usted
Mantuvimos el secreto por muchos años.
We kept the secret for many years.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: mantenió
Correct: mantuvo
Why: Learners often try to conjugate it as a regular -er verb, but it must follow the irregular 'tener' pattern.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: mantengo
Mantener has a 'go' in the yo form and an e-to-ie stem change for others: mantengo, mantienes, mantiene.
Imperfect
yo: mantenía
Mantener is regular in the imperfect: mantenía, mantenías, mantenía.
Future
yo: mantendré
The future tense uses an irregular stem: mantendré, mantendrás, mantendrá.
Conditional
yo: mantendría
The conditional uses the same irregular stem as the future: mantendría, mantendrías, mantendría.
Present Subjunctive
yo: mantenga
The present subjunctive is based on the 'mantengo' stem: mantenga, mantengas, mantenga.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: mantuviera
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'uv' stem from the preterite: mantuviera, mantuvieras, mantuviera.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: mantén
The imperative has a short 'tú' form: mantén, and uses subjunctive forms for others.
Negative Imperative
yo: no mantengas
The negative imperative always uses present subjunctive forms: no mantengas, no mantenga.