What does mantener mean in English?

Mantener means "to maintain/keep" in English.

How do you conjugate mantener in Spanish?

Mantener 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 are common idiomatic expressions with mantener?

Common idiomatic expressions using mantener include: "mantener la calma" (to keep calm / to stay calm), "mantener el contacto" (to stay in touch), "mantener la palabra" (to keep one's word). These expressions are frequently used in everyday Spanish conversation.

What should I know about using mantener?

Mantener is irregular like tener: e→ie stem change (mantengo, mantienes)

What verbs are related to mantener?

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

How do you use mantener in a sentence?

Example: "Mantengo una dieta saludable." which means "I maintain a healthy diet." in English.

What are synonyms for mantener?

Spanish synonyms for mantener include: conservar, sostener. The exact synonym to use depends on the context and specific meaning intended.

Mantener

to maintain/keep

🎯

Infinitive (infinitivo)

Base form of the verb

mantener

🏃

Gerund (gerundio)

Present participle (-ing form)

manteniendo

📋

Past Participle

Used in compound tenses

mantenido

Simple Tenses

⚡

Present Indicative (presente de indicativo)

Present actions and habitual activities

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	manteno I maintain/keep	I maintain/keep
tú	mantenes you maintain/keep	you maintain/keep
él/ella/usted	mantene he/she/you maintain/keeps	he/she/you maintain/keeps
nosotros	mantenemos we maintain/keep	we maintain/keep
vosotros	mantenéis you all maintain/keep	you all maintain/keep
ellos/ustedes	mantenen they/you all maintain/keep	they/you all maintain/keep

🕰️

Imperfect Indicative (imperfecto de indicativo)

Ongoing past actions and descriptions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	mantenía I used to maintain/keep	I used to maintain/keep
tú	mantenías you used to maintain/keep	you used to maintain/keep
él/ella/usted	mantenía he/she/you used to maintain/keep	he/she/you used to maintain/keep
nosotros	manteníamos we used to maintain/keep	we used to maintain/keep
vosotros	manteníais you all used to maintain/keep	you all used to maintain/keep
ellos/ustedes	mantenían they/you all used to maintain/keep	they/you all used to maintain/keep

📅

Preterit (pretérito)

Completed past actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	mantení I maintain/keeped	I maintain/keeped
tú	manteniste you maintain/keeped	you maintain/keeped
él/ella/usted	mantenió he/she/you maintain/keeped	he/she/you maintain/keeped
nosotros	mantenimos we maintain/keeped	we maintain/keeped
vosotros	mantenisteis you all maintain/keeped	you all maintain/keeped
ellos/ustedes	mantenieron they/you all maintain/keeped	they/you all maintain/keeped

🔮

Future (futuro)

Future actions and intentions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	manteneré I will maintain/keep	I will maintain/keep
tú	mantenerás you will maintain/keep	you will maintain/keep
él/ella/usted	mantenerá he/she/you will maintain/keep	he/she/you will maintain/keep
nosotros	manteneremos we will maintain/keep	we will maintain/keep
vosotros	manteneréis you all will maintain/keep	you all will maintain/keep
ellos/ustedes	mantenerán they/you all will maintain/keep	they/you all will maintain/keep

🎯

Conditional (potencial simple)

Hypothetical and conditional actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	mantenería I would maintain/keep	I would maintain/keep
tú	mantenerías you would maintain/keep	you would maintain/keep
él/ella/usted	mantenería he/she/you would maintain/keep	he/she/you would maintain/keep
nosotros	manteneríamos we would maintain/keep	we would maintain/keep
vosotros	manteneríais you all would maintain/keep	you all would maintain/keep
ellos/ustedes	mantenerían they/you all would maintain/keep	they/you all would maintain/keep

💭

Present Subjunctive (presente de subjuntivo)

Subjective present actions and desires

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	mantena that I maintain/keep	that I maintain/keep
tú	mantenas that you maintain/keep	that you maintain/keep
él/ella/usted	mantena that he/she/you maintain/keep	that he/she/you maintain/keep
nosotros	mantenamos that we maintain/keep	that we maintain/keep
vosotros	mantenáis that you all maintain/keep	that you all maintain/keep
ellos/ustedes	mantenan that they/you all maintain/keep	that they/you all maintain/keep

🌙

Imperfect Subjunctive (imperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective past actions and hypothetical situations

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	manteniera or manteniese that I maintain/keeped	that I maintain/keeped
tú	mantenieras or mantenieses that you maintain/keeped	that you maintain/keeped
él/ella/usted	manteniera or manteniese that he/she/you maintain/keeped	that he/she/you maintain/keeped
nosotros	manteniéramos or manteniésemos that we maintain/keeped	that we maintain/keeped
vosotros	mantenierais or mantenieseis that you all maintain/keeped	that you all maintain/keeped
ellos/ustedes	mantenieran or manteniesen that they/you all maintain/keeped	that they/you all maintain/keeped

Compound Tenses

✅

Present Perfect (perfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed recently or with present relevance

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

⏪

Pluperfect Indicative (pluscuamperfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed before another past action

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

📍

Preterit Perfect (pretérito anterior)

Actions completed immediately before another past action

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

🎊

Future Perfect (futuro perfecto)

Actions that will be completed by a future time

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

🔄

Conditional Perfect (potencial compuesto)

Actions that would have been completed under certain conditions

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

💫

Subjunctive Present Perfect (perfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed in relation to the present

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

🌌

Subjunctive Past Perfect (pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed before another past action

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

❗

Commands (imperativo)

Commands and direct orders

Person	Command	English
tú	mantene	maintain/keep! (you)
usted	mantena	maintain/keep! (you formal)
nosotros	mantenamos	let's maintain/keep!
vosotros	mantened	maintain/keep! (you all)
ustedes	mantenan	maintain/keep! (you all)

🚫

Negative Commands (imperativo negativo)

Negative commands and prohibitions

Person	Command	English
tú	no mantenas	don't maintain/keep! (you)
usted	no mantena	don't maintain/keep! (you formal)
nosotros	no mantenamos	let's not maintain/keep!
vosotros	no mantenáis	don't maintain/keep! (you all)
ustedes	no mantenan	don't maintain/keep! (you all)

More About "mantener"

Idiomatic Expressions

mantener la calma

to keep calm / to stay calm

💡 Remaining composed in difficult situations

mantener el contacto

to stay in touch

💡 Continuing communication with someone

mantener la palabra

to keep one's word

💡 Following through on promises

mantenerse en forma

to stay in shape

💡 Maintaining physical fitness

mantenerse firme

to stand firm / to hold one's ground

💡 Not changing position or opinion

Examples in Context

Mantengo una dieta saludable.

I maintain a healthy diet.

Present

La empresa mantuvo sus estándares.

The company maintained its standards.

Preterite

He mantenido esta tradición durante años.

I have maintained this tradition for years.

Present Perfect

Mantendremos nuestra posición.

We will maintain our position.

Future

Related Verbs

tener(to have)

same stem - to have

sostener(to sustain)

similar meaning - to sustain

contener(to contain)

same stem - to contain

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

conservar(to preserve, keep)

For maintaining condition or state

sostener(to sustain, support)

For maintaining support

Antonyms:

abandonar(to abandon)

descuidar(to neglect)

Usage Notes

•Mantener is irregular like tener: e→ie stem change (mantengo, mantienes)
•Irregular first person: mantengo (not "manteno")
•Main meanings: to maintain, to keep, to support (financially)
•Conjugated like tener across all tenses
•Reflexive form "mantenerse" means "to stay" or "to keep oneself"
•Irregular future/conditional stem "mantendr-": mantendré, mantendría

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Mantener

Simple Tenses

Compound Tenses

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