What is the difference between "cumplió", "guardado", "mantuvo" in Spanish?

The English word 'kept' has several Spanish translations, depending on the context. You'll need to consider whether 'kept' refers to fulfilling an obligation, storing something, or maintaining a state.

How to Say "kept" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “kept” is “cumplió” — use 'cumplió' when 'kept' means to fulfill a promise, a commitment, or to reach a certain age..

cumplióA2

Use 'cumplió' when 'kept' means to fulfill a promise, a commitment, or to reach a certain age.

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guardado🔊A2

Use 'guardado' when 'kept' means something has been saved, stored, or put away for later use.

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mantuvo🔊B1

Use 'mantuvo' when 'kept' refers to maintaining a state, attitude, or a secret over time.

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English → Spanish

cumplió

verbA2general

Use 'cumplió' when 'kept' means to fulfill a promise, a commitment, or to reach a certain age.

Examples

Mi amigo me prometió que vendría y cumplió su palabra.

My friend promised he would come and he kept his word.

guardado

/gwar-DAH-doh//gwaɾˈðaðo/

adjectiveA2general

Use 'guardado' when 'kept' means something has been saved, stored, or put away for later use.

A small, secure metal safe resting on a wooden shelf. Stacks of golden coins are visible inside the safe through a narrow opening, symbolizing money that has been successfully saved.

Examples

El documento está guardado en la carpeta azul.

The document is kept in the blue folder.

La contraseña está guardada en el navegador.

The password is saved in the browser.

Teníamos un secreto bien guardado entre nosotros.

We had a well-kept secret between us.

El tesoro fue guardado bajo llave.

The treasure was stored/kept under lock and key.

Agreement with Nouns

As an adjective, 'guardado' must match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun it describes: 'guardado' (m. sing.), 'guardada' (f. sing.), 'guardados' (m. plural), 'guardadas' (f. plural).

Forgetting Agreement

Mistake: “La información está guardado.”

Correction: La información está guardada. (Information is feminine, so the adjective must end in -a.)

See full entry for “guardado” →

mantuvo

/man-TOO-boh//manˈtuβo/

verbB1general

Use 'mantuvo' when 'kept' refers to maintaining a state, attitude, or a secret over time.

A drawing of a child holding a small, glowing, ethereal heart securely against their chest with both hands, symbolizing the act of keeping something safe.

Examples

A pesar del mal tiempo, el equipo mantuvo la esperanza.

Despite the bad weather, the team kept hope.

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*.

See full entry for “mantuvo” →

Promise vs. Stored

Learners often confuse 'cumplió' (kept a promise) with 'guardado' (kept something safe). Remember, 'cumplió' is about actions and commitments, while 'guardado' is about physical or digital storage.

Related Translations

completed→guarded→held onto→maintained→save→saved→stored→sustained→

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