How to Say "held onto" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “held onto” is “mantuvo” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Ella **mantuvo** una actitud positiva a pesar de las dificultades.
She **maintained** a positive attitude despite the difficulties.
El presidente **mantuvo** silencio sobre el escándalo.
The president **kept** silent about the scandal.
Usted **mantuvo** su palabra y eso es admirable.
You (formal) **kept** your word, and that is admirable.
Who Did It?
Mantuvo is only used when the person doing the action is 'he' (él), 'she' (ella), or the formal 'you' (usted). It never refers to 'I' or 'we'.
Simple Past Action
This verb form describes an action that started and finished completely in the past, like a single event or a state that ended at a specific time.
Irregularity Alert
Mistake: “Using the regular past tense ending, like *mantenió*.”
Correction: The verb *mantener* is highly irregular in the simple past, borrowing the 'uv' pattern from *tener*. Remember: *tener* → *tuvo*; *mantener* → *mantuvo*.
Related Translations
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