to retain
hablamos regular endingpienso stem changetengo irregularbusqué spelling change
Presente · What happens now or habitually
Retengo mejor las palabras cuando las escribo.
I retain words better when I write them down.
Pretérito · A completed action in the past
La policía retuvo su pasaporte.
The police held on to his passport.
Imperfecto · Ongoing or habitual past; "used to"
La esponja retenía el agua.
The sponge held the water.
Futuro · What will happen
El banco retendrá el dinero tres días.
The bank will hold the money for three days.
Condicional · What would happen
Esta tierra retendría mejor el agua.
This soil would hold water better.
Pretérito perfecto · Has/have done
Me han retenido el pago.
They've held back my payment.
Pluscuamperfecto · Had done
El tráfico nos había retenido dos horas.
The traffic had held us up for two hours.
Futuro perfecto · Will have done
Rarely used with this verb.
Condicional perfecto · Would have done
Sin la buena comida, no habría retenido a tantos clientes.
Without the good food, he wouldn't have kept so many customers.
Presente de subjuntivo · Wishes, doubts, emotions about the present or future
Espero que la aduana no retenga el paquete.
I hope customs doesn't hold the package.
Imperfecto de subjuntivo (-ra) · Hypotheticals and past wishes; the common form
Temíamos que la aduana retuviera las maletas.
We were afraid customs would hold the suitcases.
Imperfecto de subjuntivo (-se) · Same meaning as -ra; more literary
Temía que me retuviesen en la frontera.
I was afraid they would hold me at the border.
Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo · Subjunctive for something that has happened
Me molesta que hayan retenido mi dinero.
It bothers me that they've held my money.
Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo · Contrary-to-fact past: "if I had..."
Rarely used with this verb.
Imperativo afirmativo · Commands: do it!
Rarely used with this verb.
Imperativo negativo · Commands: don't do it!
Rarely used with this verb.