How to Say "preserve" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “preserve” is “mantén” — use 'mantén' when giving a direct command to keep something in its current state or protect it from harm, often followed by 'la/el/los/las'..
mantén
/man-TEN//manˈten/
Examples
¡Mantén la calma durante la emergencia!
Keep calm during the emergency!
Mantén la puerta cerrada, por favor.
Keep the door closed, please.
Si quieres un buen trabajo, mantén tus habilidades al día.
If you want a good job, maintain your skills up to date.
¡Mantén la calma! Solo es una pequeña araña.
Keep calm! It's only a small spider.
The Informal Command
'Mantén' is the affirmative (positive) command you use when speaking informally to one person (the 'tú' form). It tells them what to DO.
A Special Irregularity
Most 'tú' commands are the same as the 'él/ella' present tense form (e.g., habla). However, 'mantén' is irregular because its base verb, 'mantener,' follows the pattern of the highly irregular verb 'tener' (to have).
Using the Indicative Form
Mistake: “Tú mantienes la calma.”
Correction: ¡Mantén la calma! 'Mantienes' means 'You keep' (statement), while 'Mantén' means 'Keep!' (order).
reserva
reh-SEHR-vah/reˈseɾ.βa/
Examples
Visitamos una reserva natural para observar aves.
We visited a nature reserve to observe birds.
La reserva de la biosfera protege especies raras.
The biosphere reserve protects rare species.
El gobierno estableció una nueva reserva marina.
The government established a new marine reserve.
Specific Type
To specify the kind of protected area, you almost always follow 'reserva' with the preposition 'de' (of) and the type: 'reserva de fauna' (wildlife reserve).
Command vs. Protected Area
Related Translations
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