retener Present Conjugation
retener — to keep
In the present, retener changes 'e' to 'ie' in most forms and has a 'yo' form ending in -go.
retener Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use this for current habits or facts, like 'This sponge holds water' or 'I don't remember names well.'
Notes on retener in the Present
It is a stem-changer (e > ie) except for nosotros and vosotros. The 'yo' form is 'retengo'.
Example Sentences
Retengo mucha información visual.
I retain a lot of visual information.
yo
Ella no retiene nada de lo que lee.
She doesn't retain anything she reads.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros retenemos el depósito hasta el lunes.
We are holding the deposit until Monday.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Saying 'yo reteno'.
Correct: retengo
Why: Like tener, the first person singular adds a 'g'.
Mistake: Saying 'nosotros retienemos'.
Correct: retenemos
Why: Stem changes (e > ie) never occur in the nosotros or vosotros forms in the present indicative.
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Related Tenses
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.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: retén
The imperative for retener has a short 'tú' form: retén.
Negative Imperative
yo: no retengas
The negative imperative always uses the present subjunctive forms: no retengas, no retenga.