mantenerse Present Conjugation
mantenerse — to remain
The present tense of mantenerse is irregular, featuring a 'g' in the yo form and 'ie' stem changes elsewhere.
mantenerse Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present to talk about current habits, general physical states, or facts about how someone stays healthy or calm.
Notes on mantenerse in the Present
The 'yo' form is 'me mantengo' (the g-insert). For tú, él, and ellos, the 'e' in the stem changes to 'ie' (mantien-).
Example Sentences
Me mantengo en forma haciendo yoga.
I stay in shape by doing yoga.
yo
¿Cómo te mantienes tan tranquilo?
How do you stay so calm?
tú
Ellos se mantienen informados con el periódico.
They stay informed with the newspaper.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: me manteno
Correct: me mantengo
Why: The 'yo' form requires the 'go' ending, just like 'tener' becomes 'tengo'.
Mistake: se mantene
Correct: se mantiene
Why: The stem must change from 'e' to 'ie' in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: me mantuve
The preterite of mantenerse is highly irregular, using the 'uv' stem: me mantuve, te mantuviste, se mantuvo.
Imperfect
yo: me mantenía
The imperfect of mantenerse is regular: me mantenía, te mantenías, se mantenía.
Future
yo: me mantendré
The future of mantenerse uses the irregular stem 'mantendr-': me mantendré, te mantendrás.
Conditional
yo: me mantendría
The conditional uses the irregular stem 'mantendr-': me mantendría, te mantendrías.
Present Subjunctive
yo: me mantenga
The present subjunctive uses the 'manteng-' stem: me mantenga, te mantengas.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: me mantuviera
The imperfect subjunctive uses the irregular 'mantuv-' stem: me mantuviera, te mantuvieras.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: mantente
The imperative uses 'mantente' for tú and 'manténgase' for formal requests.
Negative Imperative
yo: no te mantengas
The negative imperative always uses the present subjunctive: no te mantengas, no se mantenga.