detenerte
/deh-teh-NEHR-teh/
to stop (yourself)
A person stopping their movement while walking on a path.
detenerte(verb)
to stop (yourself)
?physical movement or action
to pull over
?while driving
,to pause
?interrupting a task
📝 In Action
Tienes que detenerte antes de cruzar la calle.
A1You have to stop (yourself) before crossing the street.
No puedes detenerte ahora, ¡estás casi terminando!
A2You can't stop now, you're almost finished!
💡 Grammar Points
The 'te' at the end
The 'te' attached to the end of 'detener' tells us the action is happening to 'you'. It's like saying 'to stop yourself'.
When to use this form
Use this specific 'to' form after words like 'need' (necesitas), 'want' (quieres), or 'must' (debes).
❌ Common Pitfalls
The 'te' position
Mistake: "No puedes te detener."
Correction: No puedes detenerte (or 'No te puedes detener'). The 'te' must either stick to the end of the action word or go before the main helping verb.
⭐ Usage Tips
Sounds like 'Tener'
Since this word is built from 'tener' (to have), it follows all the same tricky changes. For example, 'I stopped' is 'me detuve' just like 'I had' is 'tuve'.
Lingering to appreciate a small detail in a garden.
detenerte(verb)
to linger
?spending extra time on a detail
,to dwell on
?thinking too much about something
📝 In Action
No vale la pena detenerte en esos pequeños errores.
B1It's not worth lingering/dwelling on those small mistakes.
Al leer el contrato, debes detenerte en cada cláusula.
B2When reading the contract, you should pause at every clause.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'en' with this meaning
When you want to say 'to dwell ON' or 'to linger ON', use the word 'en' after 'detenerte'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Deep thinking
Use this word when you want to sound thoughtful. 'Detenerte a pensar' sounds much more deliberate than just 'pensar'.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: detenerte
Question 1 of 2
Which of these means 'You need to stop yourself'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'parar' and 'detenerte'?
'Parar' is very simple and general, like 'to stop'. 'Detenerte' often sounds a bit more formal or deliberate, like 'to bring yourself to a halt'.
Why isn't it 'te detener'?
Actually, you can say 'te puedes detener' OR 'puedes detenerte'. Both are correct! But 'detenerte' is extremely common when the word is not the main verb of the sentence.