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mantenerme

man-teh-NEHR-mehmanteˈneɾme

“mantenerme” means “to support myself” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to support myself, to sustain myself

Also: to provide for myself
VerbB1irregular (e > ie, and 'go' in 'yo' form) er
A person wearing overalls is happily repairing a wooden fence post with a hammer, demonstrating self-reliance and practical support.
infinitivemantener
gerundmanteniendo
past Participlemantenido

📝 In Action

Necesito un buen salario para mantenerme en esta ciudad.

B1

I need a good salary to support myself in this city.

Hago ejercicio para mantenerme fuerte.

A2

I exercise to keep myself strong.

Mi meta es mantenerme independiente.

B2

My goal is to keep myself independent.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • sostenerme (to hold myself up/sustain myself)
  • financiarme (to finance myself)

Common Collocations

  • ayudarme a mantenerme – to help me support myself
  • luchar por mantenerme – to fight to support myself

to stay, to keep myself

Also: to hold my position
VerbA2irregular (e > ie, and 'go' in 'yo' form) er
A person stands perfectly still and balanced in the tree yoga pose on a lush green hill, illustrating remaining in a stable condition.
infinitivemantener
gerundmanteniendo
past Participlemantenido

📝 In Action

En una crisis, es vital mantenerme calmado.

B1

In a crisis, it is vital to keep myself calm.

Tuve que esforzarme para mantenerme despierto.

A2

I had to make an effort to stay awake.

Necesito mantenerme enfocado en el estudio.

A2

I need to keep myself focused on studying.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • mantenerme en silencio – to keep myself silent
  • mantenerme de pie – to keep myself standing

Indicative

Present

yome mantengo
túte mantienes
él/ella/ustedse mantiene
nosotrosnos mantenemos
vosotrosos mantenéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesse mantienen

Imperfect

yome mantenía
túte mantenías
él/ella/ustedse mantenía
nosotrosnos manteníamos
vosotrosos manteníais
ellos/ellas/ustedesse mantenían

Preterite

yome mantuve
túte mantuviste
él/ella/ustedse mantuvo
nosotrosnos mantuvimos
vosotrosos mantuvisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesse mantuvieron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yome mantenga
túte mantengas
él/ella/ustedse mantenga
nosotrosnos mantengamos
vosotrosos mantengáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesse mantengan

Imperfect Subjunctive

yome mantuviera
túte mantuvieras
él/ella/ustedse mantuviera
nosotrosnos mantuviéramos
vosotrosos mantuvierais
ellos/ellas/ustedesse mantuvieran
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "mantenerme" in Spanish:

to stay→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: mantenerme

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'mantenerme' in the sense of financial support?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
mantener(to keep, to hold) — Verb
mantenimiento(maintenance) — Noun
mantenido/a(maintained, kept (also: kept person)) — Adjective / Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
ponermetenerme
📚 Etymology▼

The verb 'mantener' comes from the Latin phrase *manu tenēre*, literally meaning 'to hold in the hand.' This original sense of 'holding onto' evolved into 'maintaining' or 'keeping' a state or position.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: maintenirPortuguese: manter

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the 'me' attached to the end of the verb?

The 'me' is attached because 'mantenerme' is an infinitive (the base form of the verb). In Spanish, when you use an infinitive, a gerund, or an affirmative command, the reflexive pronoun ('me', 'te', 'se', etc.) gets attached directly to the end of the verb.

Is 'mantenerme' the same as 'me mantener'?

No. 'Me mantener' is grammatically incorrect. When 'mantener' is used as an infinitive, the reflexive pronoun 'me' must attach to the end ('mantenerme'). When it is conjugated (like in the present tense), the 'me' separates and goes before the verb: 'Yo me mantengo'.