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How to Say "sustained" in Spanish

English → Spanish

mantuvo

/man-TOO-boh//manˈtuβo/

VerbB1General
Use 'mantuvo' when 'sustained' means to keep something going, maintain a state, or continue an effort or conversation.
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

Ella mantuvo una actitud positiva a pesar de las dificultades.

She sustained a positive attitude despite the difficulties.

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*.

sufrió

Verb (Conjugated Form)B1General
Use 'sufrió' when 'sustained' means to undergo or experience something, especially negative events like damage, injury, or loss.

Examples

El puente sufrió daños estructurales tras el terremoto.

The bridge sustained structural damage after the earthquake.

Maintaining vs. Experiencing

Learners often confuse 'mantuvo' and 'sufrió' by using 'mantuvo' when something negative happened to the subject. Remember, 'mantuvo' is for keeping something going (like an effort), while 'sufrió' is for undergoing an experience (like damage).

Related Translations

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