detenerlo
“detenerlo” means “to stop him” in Spanish (physically preventing movement or progress).
📝 In Action
Intentaron detenerlo antes de que cruzara la frontera.
B1They tried to stop him before he crossed the border.
La policía tuvo que detenerlo por exceso de velocidad.
B2The police had to detain him for speeding.
Es imposible detenerlo una vez que toma una decisión.
A2It's impossible to stop him once he makes a decision.
Word Connections
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: detenerlo
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'detenerlo'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
📚 Etymology
The word 'detener' comes from the Latin prefix 'de-' (meaning away or down) combined with the verb 'tenere' (meaning to hold). Therefore, the original meaning was 'to hold back' or 'to keep down,' which evolved into 'to stop' or 'to detain.'
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'detenerlo' have an accent mark?
The accent mark is added because when you attach the short pronoun 'lo' to the longer infinitive 'detener', the natural stress of the word would shift. The accent mark ('é') tells you to keep the stress on the original syllable (NEH), making the word flow correctly.
Can I use 'detenerlo' to mean 'stop the car'?
Yes, if the word for 'car' (coche/carro) is masculine, you can use 'detenerlo'. If you use the feminine word 'máquina' (machine/car), you would need to say 'detenerla'.