to stop, to detain
hablamos regular endingpienso stem changetengo irregularbusqué spelling change
Presente · What happens now or habitually
Detengo el carro en el semáforo.
I stop the car at the traffic light.
Pretérito · A completed action in the past
La policía detuvo al ladrón.
The police arrested the thief.
Imperfecto · Ongoing or habitual past; "used to"
El guardia detenía a todos en la puerta.
The guard stopped everyone at the door.
Futuro · What will happen
La lluvia no nos detendrá.
The rain won't stop us.
Condicional · What would happen
Nada me detendría.
Nothing would stop me.
Pretérito perfecto · Has/have done
Han detenido a dos hombres.
They've arrested two men.
Pluscuamperfecto · Had done
Ya habían detenido al sospechoso.
They had already arrested the suspect.
Futuro perfecto · Will have done
Rarely used with this verb.
Condicional perfecto · Would have done
Sin la barrera, nada lo habría detenido.
Without the barrier, nothing would have stopped it.
Presente de subjuntivo · Wishes, doubts, emotions about the present or future
Espero que nadie te detenga.
I hope nobody stops you.
Imperfecto de subjuntivo (-ra) · Hypotheticals and past wishes; the common form
Queríamos que alguien detuviera el carro.
We wanted someone to stop the car.
Imperfecto de subjuntivo (-se) · Same meaning as -ra; more literary
Temía que me detuviesen en la frontera.
I was afraid they would stop me at the border.
Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo · Subjunctive for something that has happened
Me sorprende que nadie lo haya detenido.
I'm surprised nobody has stopped him.
Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo · Contrary-to-fact past: "if I had..."
Si no lo hubieran detenido, habría huido.
If they hadn't stopped him, he would have fled.
Imperativo afirmativo · Commands: do it!
Detén el carro aquí.
Stop the car here.
Imperativo negativo · Commands: don't do it!
No detengas la música.
Don't stop the music.