mantener
“mantener” means “to keep” in Spanish. It has 4 different meanings depending on context:
to keep, to maintain
Also: to preserve
📝 In Action
Es importante mantener la calma en una emergencia.
A2It's important to keep calm in an emergency.
Intento mantener mi habitación ordenada.
A2I try to keep my room tidy.
Hemos mantenido una buena relación durante años.
B1We have maintained a good relationship for years.
to support, to provide for
📝 In Action
Él trabaja en dos lugares para mantener a su familia.
B1He works two jobs to support his family.
Le cuesta mucho mantener un apartamento tan grande.
B2It costs him a lot to maintain such a large apartment.
to maintain, to assert
Also: to hold
📝 In Action
El científico mantiene que su teoría es correcta.
B2The scientist maintains that his theory is correct.
A pesar de la evidencia, el acusado mantuvo su inocencia.
C1Despite the evidence, the defendant maintained his innocence.
📝 In Action
Para mantenerse en forma, corre todas las mañanas.
B1To stay in shape, he runs every morning.
Me mantuve callado durante la reunión para no causar problemas.
B1I remained quiet during the meeting to not cause problems.
Es difícil mantenerse positivo con tantas malas noticias.
B2It's difficult to stay positive with so much bad news.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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Words that translate to "mantener" in Spanish:
to assert→to hold→to keep→to maintain→to preserve→to remain→to stay→to support→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: mantener
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'mantener' to mean 'to provide for financially'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin phrase 'manu tenēre', which literally means 'to hold in the hand'. This original idea of holding something has expanded over time to include 'holding' a condition steady, 'holding' a family up with money, and 'holding' an opinion.
First recorded: 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'mantener' and 'sostener'?
They are very similar and sometimes interchangeable, but there's a slight difference. 'Sostener' often implies physically holding something up from underneath, like 'sostener un libro' (to hold a book) or 'sostener el techo' (to support the roof). 'Mantener' is broader and often means to keep something in a stable position or condition, like 'mantener el equilibrio' (to keep your balance) or 'mantener la puerta cerrada' (to keep the door closed). When talking about opinions, they are almost perfect synonyms.
Why is 'mantener' irregular? How can I remember its forms?
It's irregular because it's built from the verb 'tener' (to have), which is one of Spanish's most common irregular verbs. The best trick is to remember: if you know how to conjugate 'tener', you know how to conjugate 'mantener'. Just add 'man-' to the beginning of the 'tener' forms! For example: tengo -> mantengo, tuve -> mantuve, tendré -> mantendré.