Inklingo

How to Say "supporting" in Spanish

English → Spanish

manteniendo

man-ten-YEN-dohmanteˈnjendo

verbA2general
Use 'manteniendo' when describing the act of providing financial, material, or emotional help to someone or something.
A person carefully balancing a tall stack of colorful books to keep them from falling.

Examples

Ellos están manteniendo a sus padres ancianos.

They are supporting their elderly parents.

Estamos manteniendo la casa limpia.

We are keeping the house clean.

Sigue manteniendo su postura sobre el tema.

He continues maintaining his position on the subject.

Él está manteniendo a su familia con dos trabajos.

He is supporting his family with two jobs.

The '-iendo' Ending

This word is the '-ing' form of the verb 'mantener'. It is used to show that the action of keeping or maintaining is happening right now.

Using it with 'Estar'

In Spanish, you almost always pair this word with a helper verb like 'estar' (to be) or 'seguir' (to continue) to say what someone is currently doing.

Don't use it alone

Mistake: “Yo manteniendo la puerta.”

Correction: Estoy manteniendo la puerta. (You need a helper verb like 'estoy' before it.)

secundario

seh-koon-DAH-ryohsekunˈdaɾjo

adjectiveB1general
Use 'secundario' when referring to a person, role, or element that is not the main focus, like a supporting character in a story.
A small, simple sprout growing in the shadow of a large, majestic oak tree.

Examples

El actor principal recibió elogios, pero el actor secundario también fue excelente.

The main actor received praise, but the supporting actor was also excellent.

Él es un personaje secundario en la novela.

He is a supporting character in the novel.

Ese es un problema secundario; primero resolvemos esto.

That is a secondary problem; let's solve this first.

Tomamos una carretera secundaria para evitar el tráfico.

We took a secondary road to avoid the traffic.

Matching the Gender

Remember to change the ending to 'secundaria' if the word it describes is feminine, like 'una calle secundaria'.

Where to Put It

This word almost always comes after the thing it is describing, like 'un efecto secundario' (a side effect).

Don't confuse with 'segundo'

Mistake: “Vivo en el secundario piso.”

Correction: Vivo en el segundo piso. Use 'segundo' for the order (1st, 2nd) and 'secundario' for the level of importance.

Supporting Role vs. Providing Support

Learners often confuse 'manteniendo' and 'secundario' by using the word for 'role' when they mean 'providing help'. Remember, 'manteniendo' is about active assistance, while 'secundario' describes something less important or primary.

Related Translations

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