mantener preterite conjugation
Mantener (to maintain, keep) in the preterite: mantuve, mantuviste, mantuvo, mantuvimos, mantuvisteis, mantuvieron.
Pretérito indefinido Preterite
| yo | regular: mantení |
|---|---|
| tú | regular: manteniste |
| él/ella/usted | regular: mantenió |
| nosotros | regular: mantenimos |
| vosotros | regular: mantenisteis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | regular: mantenieron |
ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it
When to use the preterite
The preterite (pretérito indefinido) is the past tense for completed actions with a clear start or end: “Ayer hice la cena.” For background, habits and ongoing states in the past, Spanish uses the imperfect instead.
How it is formed
Regular endings: -ar → é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron; -er/-ir → í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron. Many common verbs use an irregular stem (hic-, tuv-, estuv-, pud-, quis-, dij-) with unstressed endings -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
Mantener is irregular here. 6 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give mantení, manteniste, mantenió, mantenimos, mantenisteis, mantenieron.
Read more: Preterite vs imperfect: when to use each
Mantener in a sentence
- Mantengo mi habitación limpia.I keep my room clean.
- Mantuvieron la calma durante la crisis.They kept calm during the crisis.
Irregular like 'tener' (mantengo, mantuve); conjugates as a compound of tener.
FAQ
What is the preterite of mantener?
Mantener in the Spanish preterite: yo mantuve, tú mantuviste, él/ella/usted mantuvo, nosotros mantuvimos, vosotros mantuvisteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes mantuvieron.
Is mantener irregular in the preterite?
Yes. 6 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: yo mantuve (regular would be mantení); tú mantuviste (regular would be manteniste); él/ella/usted mantuvo (regular would be mantenió); nosotros mantuvimos (regular would be mantenimos); vosotros mantuvisteis (regular would be mantenisteis); ellos/ellas/ustedes mantuvieron (regular would be mantenieron).
When do you use the Spanish preterite?
The preterite (pretérito indefinido) is the past tense for completed actions with a clear start or end: “Ayer hice la cena.” For background, habits and ongoing states in the past, Spanish uses the imperfect instead.
How is the preterite formed?
Regular endings: -ar → é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron; -er/-ir → í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron. Many common verbs use an irregular stem (hic-, tuv-, estuv-, pud-, quis-, dij-) with unstressed endings -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
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