What does detener mean in English?

Detener means "to stop/arrest" in English.

How do you conjugate detener in Spanish?

Detener is conjugated across all Spanish tenses including present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, subjunctive, and more. Each tense has specific conjugations for yo, tú, él/ella/usted, nosotros, vosotros, and ellos/ustedes. You can see complete conjugation tables with audio pronunciations on this page.

What should I know about using detener?

Detener is irregular like tener

What verbs are related to detener?

Verbs related to detener include: tener. These verbs share similar meanings, stems, or conjugation patterns.

How do you use detener in a sentence?

Example: "La policía detuvo al ladrón." which means "The police arrested the thief." in English.

What are synonyms for detener?

Spanish synonyms for detener include: parar. The exact synonym to use depends on the context and specific meaning intended.

Detener

to stop/arrest

🎯

Infinitive (infinitivo)

Base form of the verb

detener

🏃

Gerund (gerundio)

Present participle (-ing form)

deteniendo

📋

Past Participle

Used in compound tenses

detenido

Simple Tenses

⚡

Present Indicative (presente de indicativo)

Present actions and habitual activities

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	deteno I stop/arrest	I stop/arrest
tú	detenes you stop/arrest	you stop/arrest
él/ella/usted	detene he/she/you stop/arrests	he/she/you stop/arrests
nosotros	detenemos we stop/arrest	we stop/arrest
vosotros	detenéis you all stop/arrest	you all stop/arrest
ellos/ustedes	detenen they/you all stop/arrest	they/you all stop/arrest

🕰️

Imperfect Indicative (imperfecto de indicativo)

Ongoing past actions and descriptions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	detenía I used to stop/arrest	I used to stop/arrest
tú	detenías you used to stop/arrest	you used to stop/arrest
él/ella/usted	detenía he/she/you used to stop/arrest	he/she/you used to stop/arrest
nosotros	deteníamos we used to stop/arrest	we used to stop/arrest
vosotros	deteníais you all used to stop/arrest	you all used to stop/arrest
ellos/ustedes	detenían they/you all used to stop/arrest	they/you all used to stop/arrest

📅

Preterit (pretérito)

Completed past actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	detení I stop/arrested	I stop/arrested
tú	deteniste you stop/arrested	you stop/arrested
él/ella/usted	detenió he/she/you stop/arrested	he/she/you stop/arrested
nosotros	detenimos we stop/arrested	we stop/arrested
vosotros	detenisteis you all stop/arrested	you all stop/arrested
ellos/ustedes	detenieron they/you all stop/arrested	they/you all stop/arrested

🔮

Future (futuro)

Future actions and intentions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	deteneré I will stop/arrest	I will stop/arrest
tú	detenerás you will stop/arrest	you will stop/arrest
él/ella/usted	detenerá he/she/you will stop/arrest	he/she/you will stop/arrest
nosotros	deteneremos we will stop/arrest	we will stop/arrest
vosotros	deteneréis you all will stop/arrest	you all will stop/arrest
ellos/ustedes	detenerán they/you all will stop/arrest	they/you all will stop/arrest

🎯

Conditional (potencial simple)

Hypothetical and conditional actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	detenería I would stop/arrest	I would stop/arrest
tú	detenerías you would stop/arrest	you would stop/arrest
él/ella/usted	detenería he/she/you would stop/arrest	he/she/you would stop/arrest
nosotros	deteneríamos we would stop/arrest	we would stop/arrest
vosotros	deteneríais you all would stop/arrest	you all would stop/arrest
ellos/ustedes	detenerían they/you all would stop/arrest	they/you all would stop/arrest

💭

Present Subjunctive (presente de subjuntivo)

Subjective present actions and desires

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	detena that I stop/arrest	that I stop/arrest
tú	detenas that you stop/arrest	that you stop/arrest
él/ella/usted	detena that he/she/you stop/arrest	that he/she/you stop/arrest
nosotros	detenamos that we stop/arrest	that we stop/arrest
vosotros	detenáis that you all stop/arrest	that you all stop/arrest
ellos/ustedes	detenan that they/you all stop/arrest	that they/you all stop/arrest

🌙

Imperfect Subjunctive (imperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective past actions and hypothetical situations

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	deteniera or deteniese that I stop/arrested	that I stop/arrested
tú	detenieras or detenieses that you stop/arrested	that you stop/arrested
él/ella/usted	deteniera or deteniese that he/she/you stop/arrested	that he/she/you stop/arrested
nosotros	deteniéramos or deteniésemos that we stop/arrested	that we stop/arrested
vosotros	detenierais or detenieseis that you all stop/arrested	that you all stop/arrested
ellos/ustedes	detenieran or deteniesen that they/you all stop/arrested	that they/you all stop/arrested

Compound Tenses

✅

Present Perfect (perfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed recently or with present relevance

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	he detenido I have stop/arrested	I have stop/arrested
tú	has detenido you have stop/arrested	you have stop/arrested
él/ella/usted	ha detenido he/she/you have stop/arrested	he/she/you have stop/arrested
nosotros	hemos detenido we have stop/arrested	we have stop/arrested
vosotros	habéis detenido you all have stop/arrested	you all have stop/arrested
ellos/ustedes	han detenido they/you all have stop/arrested	they/you all have stop/arrested

⏪

Pluperfect Indicative (pluscuamperfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	había detenido I had stop/arrested	I had stop/arrested
tú	habías detenido you had stop/arrested	you had stop/arrested
él/ella/usted	había detenido he/she/you had stop/arrested	he/she/you had stop/arrested
nosotros	habíamos detenido we had stop/arrested	we had stop/arrested
vosotros	habíais detenido you all had stop/arrested	you all had stop/arrested
ellos/ustedes	habían detenido they/you all had stop/arrested	they/you all had stop/arrested

📍

Preterit Perfect (pretérito anterior)

Actions completed immediately before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hube detenido I had stop/arrested	I had stop/arrested
tú	hubiste detenido you had stop/arrested	you had stop/arrested
él/ella/usted	hubo detenido he/she/you had stop/arrested	he/she/you had stop/arrested
nosotros	hubimos detenido we had stop/arrested	we had stop/arrested
vosotros	hubisteis detenido you all had stop/arrested	you all had stop/arrested
ellos/ustedes	hubieron detenido they/you all had stop/arrested	they/you all had stop/arrested

🎊

Future Perfect (futuro perfecto)

Actions that will be completed by a future time

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habré detenido I will have stop/arrested	I will have stop/arrested
tú	habrás detenido you will have stop/arrested	you will have stop/arrested
él/ella/usted	habrá detenido he/she/you will have stop/arrested	he/she/you will have stop/arrested
nosotros	habremos detenido we will have stop/arrested	we will have stop/arrested
vosotros	habréis detenido you all will have stop/arrested	you all will have stop/arrested
ellos/ustedes	habrán detenido they/you all will have stop/arrested	they/you all will have stop/arrested

🔄

Conditional Perfect (potencial compuesto)

Actions that would have been completed under certain conditions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habría detenido I would have stop/arrested	I would have stop/arrested
tú	habrías detenido you would have stop/arrested	you would have stop/arrested
él/ella/usted	habría detenido he/she/you would have stop/arrested	he/she/you would have stop/arrested
nosotros	habríamos detenido we would have stop/arrested	we would have stop/arrested
vosotros	habríais detenido you all would have stop/arrested	you all would have stop/arrested
ellos/ustedes	habrían detenido they/you all would have stop/arrested	they/you all would have stop/arrested

💫

Subjunctive Present Perfect (perfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed in relation to the present

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	haya detenido that I have stop/arrested	that I have stop/arrested
tú	hayas detenido that you have stop/arrested	that you have stop/arrested
él/ella/usted	haya detenido that he/she/you have stop/arrested	that he/she/you have stop/arrested
nosotros	hayamos detenido that we have stop/arrested	that we have stop/arrested
vosotros	hayáis detenido that you all have stop/arrested	that you all have stop/arrested
ellos/ustedes	hayan detenido that they/you all have stop/arrested	that they/you all have stop/arrested

🌌

Subjunctive Past Perfect (pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hubiera detenido that I had stop/arrested	that I had stop/arrested
tú	hubieras detenido that you had stop/arrested	that you had stop/arrested
él/ella/usted	hubiera detenido that he/she/you had stop/arrested	that he/she/you had stop/arrested
nosotros	hubiéramos detenido that we had stop/arrested	that we had stop/arrested
vosotros	hubierais detenido that you all had stop/arrested	that you all had stop/arrested
ellos/ustedes	hubieran detenido that they/you all had stop/arrested	that they/you all had stop/arrested

❗

Commands (imperativo)

Commands and direct orders

Person	Command	English
tú	detene	stop/arrest! (you)
usted	detena	stop/arrest! (you formal)
nosotros	detenamos	let's stop/arrest!
vosotros	detened	stop/arrest! (you all)
ustedes	detenan	stop/arrest! (you all)

🚫

Negative Commands (imperativo negativo)

Negative commands and prohibitions

Person	Command	English
tú	no detenas	don't stop/arrest! (you)
usted	no detena	don't stop/arrest! (you formal)
nosotros	no detenamos	let's not stop/arrest!
vosotros	no detenáis	don't stop/arrest! (you all)
ustedes	no detenan	don't stop/arrest! (you all)

More About "detener"

Examples in Context

La policía detuvo al ladrón.

The police arrested the thief.

Preterite

Detengo el carro.

I stop the car.

Present

Se han detenido en el semáforo.

They have stopped at the traffic light.

Present Perfect

No me detendrás.

You won't stop me.

Future

Related Verbs

tener(to have)

same stem - to have

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

parar(to stop)

More common

Usage Notes

•Detener is irregular like tener
•Irregular first person: detengo
•Main meanings: to stop, to arrest, to detain
•Conjugated like tener

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Detener

Simple Tenses

Compound Tenses

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