detenido
/deh-teh-NEE-doh/
detainee
As a noun, detenido refers to a detainee, a person held by authorities.
detenido(Noun)
detainee
?person held by authorities
,arrested person
?person taken into custody
prisoner
?less common, implies a temporary status
📝 In Action
El detenido pidió hablar con su abogado antes de declarar.
B1The detainee asked to speak with his lawyer before making a statement.
La policía identificó al detenido como un sospechoso habitual.
B2The police identified the arrested person as a usual suspect.
💡 Grammar Points
Gender Matching
As a noun, it must match the person's gender: 'el detenido' (male) or 'la detenida' (female).
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal Context
This word is often used in formal or legal contexts. In casual speech, people might simply say 'la persona que arrestaron' (the person they arrested).
When used as an adjective, detenido means stopped, referring to movement or motion.
📝 In Action
El tráfico estuvo detenido por un accidente en la autopista.
B1Traffic was stopped due to an accident on the highway.
El proyecto de construcción quedó detenido hasta el próximo mes.
B2The construction project was halted until next month.
💡 Grammar Points
Agreement is Key
When used as an adjective, 'detenido' must match the thing it describes in both gender and number: 'la obra detenida' (the halted work), 'los trenes detenidos' (the stopped trains).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Temporary vs. Permanent Stop
Mistake: "Using 'ser' (to be) with 'detenido' when describing a temporary stop, like traffic."
Correction: Use 'estar' (to be) for a temporary state: 'El tráfico está detenido.' (The traffic is stopped right now.)
As a past participle, detenido translates to stopped, used in perfect tenses like 'ha detenido' (has stopped).
detenido(Past Participle)
stopped
?used with 'haber' in perfect tenses
,detained
?used with 'haber' in perfect tenses
📝 In Action
El director ha detenido la producción por problemas técnicos.
A2The director has stopped production due to technical problems.
Nunca antes habíamos detenido un proyecto tan avanzado.
B1We had never before halted such an advanced project.
💡 Grammar Points
Forming Perfect Tenses
This form ('detenido') is used with the verb 'haber' (to have) to create perfect tenses, which describe actions completed in the past: 'He detenido' (I have stopped).
Invariable Rule
When used with 'haber' to form compound tenses, 'detenido' never changes its ending; it always stays '-o', regardless of the gender or number of the person or thing doing the action.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: detenido
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'detenido' as an adjective describing a non-person object?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'detenido' and 'parado'?
'Parado' means stopped or standing still and is generally used for simple physical stops (e.g., a bus stopped at a light). 'Detenido' often implies a more forceful or official stop, especially when referring to someone taken into custody by the police, or when describing a project that has been forcibly halted or delayed.
Does 'detenido' function as a regular verb?
No. 'Detenido' is the past participle form of the irregular verb 'detener' (to stop/detain). It is used either as an adjective/noun, or combined with 'haber' to form complete tenses (like 'he detenido').