deténganse
deh-TEN-gahn-seh
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
¡Deténganse! No pueden cruzar por aquí.
A2Stop! You cannot cross through here.
Por favor, deténganse un momento para escuchar las instrucciones.
B1Please, stop for a moment to listen to the instructions.
Deténganse antes de llegar a la línea roja.
B1Stop before reaching the red line.
💡 Grammar Points
Understanding 'se'
The 'se' at the end tells you that the people are stopping themselves. In Spanish, when you give a command and include a word like 'me', 'te', or 'se', it attaches directly to the end of the action word.
The Accent Mark
Notice the accent on the second 'e'. When we add 'se' to the end of 'detengan', the stress stays on that syllable, so we must draw an accent mark to show it.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Missing the 'se'
Mistake: "Detengan!"
Correction: Deténganse!
⭐ Usage Tips
Who are you talking to?
Use this word when you are talking to a group of people. If you are only talking to one person, you would say 'deténgase' (formal) or 'detente' (informal).
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
present
imperfect
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: deténganse
Question 1 of 2
When would you most likely shout '¡Deténganse!'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'párense' and 'deténganse'?
Both mean 'stop' for a group. 'Párense' is more common in everyday casual speech, while 'deténganse' sounds slightly more formal or official, like something a police officer or a sign might say.
Can I use 'deténganse' to tell a car to stop?
Technically you are telling the *drivers/people* in the car to stop. If you want to talk about the car itself stopping, you'd usually use the verb 'parar'.