Inklingo
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A child standing on a path with an outstretched hand signaling a rolling red ball to stop.

detén

deh-TEN

verbA2irregular command form er
stop?telling someone to cease movement or an action
Also:hold?asking someone to hold back or restrain something,arrest?informal command to stop a suspect

Quick Reference

gerunddeteniendo
past Participledetenido
infinitivedetener

📝 In Action

¡Detén el coche, hay un perro en la calle!

A1

Stop the car, there is a dog in the street!

Detén un segundo lo que haces y mírame.

A2

Stop what you're doing for a second and look at me.

Detén el avance de los enemigos.

B1

Hold back the enemies' progress.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • para (stop)
  • frena (brake/stop)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • detén el tiempo – stop time
  • detén el proceso – stop the process

Idioms & Expressions

  • detén tu caballo – Wait a minute / Hold your horses

💡 Grammar Points

A Special Short Command

Most verbs use their 'he/she' form for commands, but 'detener' is special. Instead of 'detiene', we use 'detén' when telling a friend to stop.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Don't forget the accent

Mistake: "deten"

Correction: detén

⭐ Usage Tips

Using it with 'yourself'

If you want to tell someone to stop themselves (physically stop moving), add 'te' to the end: '¡Detente!'

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdetuvieran
yodetuviera
túdetuvieras
vosotrosdetuvierais
nosotrosdetuviéramos
él/ella/usteddetuviera

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdetengan
yodetenga
túdetengas
vosotrosdetengáis
nosotrosdetengamos
él/ella/usteddetenga

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesdetuvieron
yodetuve
túdetuviste
vosotrosdetuvisteis
nosotrosdetuvimos
él/ella/usteddetuvo

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdetenían
yodetenía
túdetenías
vosotrosdeteníais
nosotrosdeteníamos
él/ella/usteddetenía

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdetienen
yodetengo
túdetienes
vosotrosdetenéis
nosotrosdetenemos
él/ella/usteddetiene
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: detén

Question 1 of 1

When would you use the word 'detén'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

detener(to stop) - verb
detención(detention/arrest) - noun
detenido(detainee/arrested) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'detén' the same as 'para'?

Mostly, yes! 'Para' (from parar) is the most common way to say 'stop'. 'Detén' is slightly more formal or emphatic, often used for stopping a process or 'holding' something back.

What is the formal version of 'detén'?

If you are talking to a stranger or someone you want to show respect to, use 'detenga'.