mantenerse Preterite Conjugation
mantenerse — to remain
The preterite of mantenerse is highly irregular, using the 'uv' stem: me mantuve, te mantuviste, se mantuvo.
mantenerse Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to describe staying in a state or position for a specific, completed duration in the past, or when the 'remaining' reached a definite conclusion.
Notes on mantenerse in the Preterite
This verb follows the 'tener' pattern. The stem changes to 'mantuv-' and it uses irregular endings without accents (e.g., -e, -iste, -o).
Example Sentences
Me mantuve en silencio durante la reunión.
I remained silent during the meeting.
yo
Se mantuvo firme en su decisión.
She stood firm in her decision.
él/ella/usted
Nos mantuvimos en contacto todo el verano.
We kept in touch all summer.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: se mantenió
Correct: se mantuvo
Why: Learners often try to conjugate it as a regular -er verb, but it must follow the irregular 'uv' pattern of tener.
Mistake: me mantuví
Correct: me mantuve
Why: Irregular preterite 'yo' forms end in -e, not -í, and never have an accent.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: me mantengo
The present tense of mantenerse is irregular, featuring a 'g' in the yo form and 'ie' stem changes elsewhere.
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.