retener Affirmative Imperative Conjugation
retener — to keep
The imperative for retener has a short 'tú' form: retén.
retener Affirmative Imperative Forms
When to Use the Affirmative Imperative
Use this to give direct orders to keep or hold something, like 'Hold that thought!' or 'Keep the receipt.'
Notes on retener in the Affirmative Imperative
The informal 'tú' command is 'retén' (with an accent), mirroring 'ten'. The 'vosotros' form is regular: 'retened'.
Example Sentences
¡Retén esa idea!
Hold that thought!
tú
Retenga el recibo para su garantía.
Keep the receipt for your warranty.
Retened el aire cinco segundos.
Hold your breath for five seconds.
vosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'retiene' for the tú command.
Correct: retén
Why: While many verbs use the 3rd person present for the command, verbs based on 'tener' use the short form ending in -én.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: retengo
In the present, retener changes 'e' to 'ie' in most forms and has a 'yo' form ending in -go.
Preterite
yo: retuve
The preterite of retener is highly irregular, using the 'uv' stem: retuve, retuviste, retuvo.
Imperfect
yo: retenía
The imperfect of retener is regular: retenía, retenías, retenía, reteníamos, reteníais, retenían.
Future
yo: retendré
The future of retener uses the irregular stem 'retendr-': retendré, retendrás, etc.
Conditional
yo: retendría
The conditional uses the irregular stem 'retendr-': retendría, retendrías, retendría.
Present Subjunctive
yo: retenga
The present subjunctive of retener uses the stem 'reteng-' and is used for doubts or requests about keeping something.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: retuviera
The imperfect subjunctive of retener uses the irregular 'retuv-' stem: retuviera, retuvieras, retuviera.
Negative Imperative
yo: no retengas
The negative imperative always uses the present subjunctive forms: no retengas, no retenga.