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How to Say "held" in Spanish

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cogido

coh-HEE-doh/koˈxi.ðo/

Past ParticipleA2General
Use 'cogido' when 'held' means physically captured or apprehended, often by authorities.
A small, wide-eyed, bright orange fish dangling from a simple fishing hook held by an unseen hand, illustrating the moment of capture.

Examples

El ladrón fue cogido por la policía.

The thief was caught by the police.

Hemos cogido todas las manzanas del árbol.

We have grabbed all the apples from the tree.

Forming Perfect Tenses

Use 'cogido' with a form of the verb 'haber' (to have) to describe actions completed in the past, like 'He cogido' (I have caught).

Agreement as an Adjective

When used to describe a person or thing, 'cogido' must match its gender and number: 'la cosa cogida' (the thing caught), 'los libros cogidos' (the books taken).

Confusing Past Participles

Mistake: “Using 'cogiendo' (the -ing form) instead of 'cogido' for perfect tenses.”

Correction: Always use the '-ido' form ('cogido') with 'haber' for completed actions.

mantenido

man-teh-NEE-doh/manteˈniðo/

AdjectiveB1General
Use 'mantenido' when 'held' refers to something being kept in good condition or preserved over time.
A bright red vintage bicycle standing upright, looking perfectly clean and polished, leaning against a sunny wall.

Examples

El parque está muy bien mantenido, siempre luce limpio.

The park is very well maintained; it always looks clean.

Debido a la crisis, el precio de la gasolina se ha mantenido alto.

Due to the crisis, the price of gasoline has been kept high.

Agreement

Like many Spanish adjectives, 'mantenido' must change its ending to match the noun it describes: 'mantenida' (feminine), 'mantenidos' (plural masculine), and 'mantenidas' (plural feminine).

sujeta

/soo-HEH-tah//suˈxeta/

AdjectiveB1General
Use 'sujeta' when 'held' means something is firmly attached, fastened, or gripped in place.
A red balloon with its string tied securely to a wooden fence post.

Examples

La estantería está bien sujeta a la pared.

The shelf is well fastened to the wall.

Esta oferta está sujeta a cambios.

This offer is subject to changes.

Matching the Noun

Since this is the feminine form, use it only when describing feminine words like 'la mesa' (the table) or 'la oferta' (the offer). For masculine words, use 'sujeto'.

contenido

kon-teh-NEE-doh/kon.teˈni.ðo/

verbA2General
Use 'contenido' when 'held' refers to the capacity of something to contain or hold a substance or amount.
A sturdy, transparent glass jar sitting on a table. The jar is tightly sealed with a lid and holds a swirling mass of pink, fluffy material inside.

Examples

El tanque ha contenido el agua durante meses.

The tank has contained the water for months.

La policía había contenido la multitud antes de que llegáramos.

The police had contained the crowd before we arrived.

Una gran lección está contenida en este relato.

A great lesson is contained in this story.

Forming Perfect Tenses

'Contenido' is used with the verb 'haber' (to have) to create perfect tenses: 'He contenido' (I have contained), 'Habíamos contenido' (We had contained).

Irregularity of Contener

The base verb 'contener' (to contain) is irregular, following the pattern of 'tener' (to have). Notice the change in the 'yo' present tense: 'yo contengo' instead of 'yo conteno'.

Confusing Past Participle and Adjective

Mistake: “El tanque está contenido el agua. (Mixing verb and adjective uses)”

Correction: El tanque ha contenido el agua. (Use 'haber' for the verb action.) OR El agua está contenida. (Use 'estar' for the state/adjective.)

Physical restraint vs. being fastened

Learners often confuse 'cogido' (caught/apprehended) with 'sujeta' (fastened/attached). Remember, 'cogido' implies an action of capture, while 'sujeta' describes a state of being securely fixed or gripped.

Related Translations

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