How to conjugate Contener in Spanish
To contain, to hold, to include Irregular Verb
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Indicative tenses of Contener
- Contener in the Indicative Present
- Contener in the Indicative Preterite
- Contener in the Indicative Imperfect
- Contener in the Indicative Present Continuous
- Contener in the Indicative Informal Future
- Contener in the Indicative Future
- Contener in the Indicative Conditional
- Contener in the Indicative Present Perfect
- Contener in the Indicative Past Perfect
- Contener in the Indicative Future Perfect
- Contener in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
- Subjunctive tenses of Contener
- Imperative tenses of Contener
- Downloadable cheat sheet (PDF)
- Practice Contener conjugations (free mobile app)
Introduction
Contener is the Spanish verb for "to contain, to hold, to include". It is an irregular verb. Read on below to see how it is conjugated in the 18 major Spanish tenses!
Similar verbs to contener include: abarcar, incluir, guardar, sostener, sujetar.
Item | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Infinitive | contener | to contain, to hold, to include |
Past participle | contenido | contained |
Gerund | conteniendo | containing |
Indicative Tenses of Contener
Contener in the Indicative Present
The Indicative Present of contener is used to talk about situations, events or thoughts that are happening now or in the near future. It is also used to talk about facts and truths. For example, "contengo", meaning "I contain".
In Spanish, the Indicative Present is known as "El Presente".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | contengo | I contain |
Tú | contienes | you contain |
Ella / Él / Usted | contiene | s/he contains, you (formal) contain |
Nosotras / Nosotros | contenemos | we contain |
Vosotras / Vosotros | contenéis | you (plural) contain |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | contienen | they contain, |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Contener in the Indicative Preterite
The Indicative Preterite of contener is used to talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time. For example, "contuve", meaning "I contained".
In Spanish, the Indicative Preterite is known as "El Pretérito Indefinido".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | contuve | I contained |
Tú | contuviste | you contained |
Ella / Él / Usted | contuvo | s/he contained, you (formal) contained |
Nosotras / Nosotros | contuvimos | we contained |
Vosotras / Vosotros | contuvisteis | you (plural) contained |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | contuvieron | they contained, |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Contener in the Indicative Imperfect
The Indicative Imperfect of contener is used to describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do. For example, "contenía", meaning "I used to contain".
In Spanish, the Indicative Imperfect is known as "El Pretérito Imperfecto".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | contenía | I used to contain |
Tú | contenías | you used to contain |
Ella / Él / Usted | contenía | s/he used to contain, you (formal) used to contain |
Nosotras / Nosotros | conteníamos | we used to contain |
Vosotras / Vosotros | conteníais | you (plural) used to contain |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | contenían | they used to contain, |
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Contener in the Indicative Present Continuous
The Indicative Present Continuous of contener is used to talk about something that is happening continuously or right now. For example, "estoy conteniendo", meaning "I am containing".
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Continuous is known as "El Presente Progresivo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | estoy conteniendo | I am containing |
Tú | estás conteniendo | you are containing |
Ella / Él / Usted | está conteniendo | s/he is containing, you (formal) are containing |
Nosotras / Nosotros | estamos conteniendo | we are containing |
Vosotras / Vosotros | estáis conteniendo | you (plural) are containing |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | están conteniendo | they are containing, |
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Contener in the Indicative Informal Future
The Indicative Informal Future of contener is used to talk about something that will happen in the future, especially in the near future. For example, "voy a contener", meaning "I am going to contain".
In Spanish, the Indicative Informal Future is known as "El Futuro Próximo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | voy a contener | I am going to contain |
Tú | vas a contener | you are going to contain |
Ella / Él / Usted | va a contener | s/he is going to contain, you (formal) are going to contain |
Nosotras / Nosotros | vamos a contener | we are going to contain |
Vosotras / Vosotros | vais a contener | you (plural) are going to contain |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | van a contener | they are going to contain, |
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Contener in the Indicative Future
The Indicative Future of contener is used to talk about something that will happen in the future. For example, "contendré", meaning "I will contain".
In Spanish, the Indicative Future is known as "El Futuro Simple".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | contendré | I will contain |
Tú | contendrás | you will contain |
Ella / Él / Usted | contendrá | s/he will contain, you (formal) will contain |
Nosotras / Nosotros | contendremos | we will contain |
Vosotras / Vosotros | contendréis | you (plural) will contain |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | contendrán | they will contain, |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Contener in the Indicative Conditional
The Indicative Conditional of contener is used to talk about something that may happen in the future, hypothesis and probabilities. For example, "contendría", meaning "I would contain".
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional is known as "El Condicional Simple".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | contendría | I would contain |
Tú | contendrías | you would contain |
Ella / Él / Usted | contendría | s/he would contain, you (formal) would contain |
Nosotras / Nosotros | contendríamos | we would contain |
Vosotras / Vosotros | contendríais | you (plural) would contain |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | contendrían | they would contain, |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Contener in the Indicative Present Perfect
The Indicative Present Perfect of contener is used to describe actions that started recently (in the past) and are still happening now or things that have been done recently. For example, "he contenido", meaning "I have contained".
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | he contenido | I have contained |
Tú | has contenido | you have contained |
Ella / Él / Usted | ha contenido | s/he has contained, you (formal) have contained |
Nosotras / Nosotros | hemos contenido | we have contained |
Vosotras / Vosotros | habéis contenido | you (plural) have contained |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | han contenido | they have contained, |
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Contener in the Indicative Past Perfect
The Indicative Past Perfect of contener is used to talk about actions that happened before another action in the past. For example, "había contenido", meaning "I had contained".
In Spanish, the Indicative Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | había contenido | I had contained |
Tú | habías contenido | you had contained |
Ella / Él / Usted | había contenido | s/he had contained, you (formal) had contained |
Nosotras / Nosotros | habíamos contenido | we had contained |
Vosotras / Vosotros | habíais contenido | you (plural) had contained |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habían contenido | they had contained, |
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Contener in the Indicative Future Perfect
The Indicative Future Perfect of contener is used to talk about something that will have happened in the future after something else has already happened. For example, "habré contenido", meaning "I will have contained".
In Spanish, the Indicative Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | habré contenido | I will have contained |
Tú | habrás contenido | you will have contained |
Ella / Él / Usted | habrá contenido | s/he will have contained, you (formal) will have contained |
Nosotras / Nosotros | habremos contenido | we will have contained |
Vosotras / Vosotros | habréis contenido | you (plural) will have contained |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrán contenido | they will have contained, |
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Contener in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
The Indicative Conditional Perfect of contener is used to talk about something that would have happened in the past but didn’t due to another action. For example, "habría contenido", meaning "I would have contained".
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional Perfect is known as "El Condicional Perfecto".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | habría contenido | I would have contained |
Tú | habrías contenido | you would have contained |
Ella / Él / Usted | habría contenido | s/he would have contained, you (formal) would have contained |
Nosotras / Nosotros | habríamos contenido | we would have contained |
Vosotras / Vosotros | habríais contenido | you (plural) would have contained |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrían contenido | they would have contained, |
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Subjunctive Tenses of Contener
Contener in the Subjunctive Present
The Subjunctive Present is used to talk about situations of uncertainty, or emotions such as wishes, desires and hopes. It differs from the indicative mood due to the uncertainty of the events which are being spoken about. For example, "contenga", meaning "I contain".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present is known as "El Presente de Subjuntivo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | contenga | I contain |
Tú | contengas | you contain |
Ella / Él / Usted | contenga | s/he contains, you (formal) contain |
Nosotras / Nosotros | contengamos | we contain |
Vosotras / Vosotros | contengáis | you (plural) contain |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | contengan | they contain, |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Contener in the Subjunctive Imperfect
The Subjunctive Imperfect is used to speak about unlikely or uncertain events in the past or to cast an opinion (emotional) about something that happened in the past. For example, "contuviera", meaning "I contained".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Imperfect is known as "El Imperfecto Subjuntivo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | contuviera | I contained |
Tú | contuvieras | you contained |
Ella / Él / Usted | contuviera | s/he contained, you (formal) contained |
Nosotras / Nosotros | contuviéramos | we contained |
Vosotras / Vosotros | contuvierais | you (plural) contained |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | contuvieran | they contained, |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Contener in the Subjunctive Future
The Subjunctive Future is used to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that may happen in the future. For example, "contuviere", meaning "I will contain".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future is known as "El Futuro de Subjuntivo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | contuviere | I will contain |
Tú | contuvieres | you will contain |
Ella / Él / Usted | contuviere | s/he will contain, you (formal) will contain |
Nosotras / Nosotros | contuviéremos | we will contain |
Vosotras / Vosotros | contuviereis | you (plural) will contain |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | contuvieren | they will contain, |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Contener in the Subjunctive Present Perfect
The Subjunctive Present Perfect is used to describe past actions or events that are still connected to the present day and to speak about an action that will have happened by a certain time in the future. For example, "haya contenido", meaning "I have contained".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | haya contenido | I have contained |
Tú | hayas contenido | you have contained |
Ella / Él / Usted | haya contenido | s/he has contained, you (formal) have contained |
Nosotras / Nosotros | hayamos contenido | we have contained |
Vosotras / Vosotros | hayáis contenido | you (plural) have contained |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hayan contenido | they have contained, |
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Contener in the Subjunctive Past Perfect
The Subjunctive Past Perfect is used to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that occurred before other actions/events in the past. For example, "hubiera contenido", meaning "I had contained".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | hubiera contenido | I had contained |
Tú | hubieras contenido | you had contained |
Ella / Él / Usted | hubiera contenido | s/he had contained, you (formal) had contained |
Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéramos contenido | we had contained |
Vosotras / Vosotros | hubierais contenido | you (plural) had contained |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieran contenido | they had contained, |
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Contener in the Subjunctive Future Perfect
The Subjunctive Future Perfect is used to speak about something that will have happened if a hypothetical situations occurs in the future. For example, "hubiere contenido", meaning "I will have contained".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | hubiere contenido | I will have contained |
Tú | hubieres contenido | you will have contained |
Ella / Él / Usted | hubiere contenido | s/he will have contained, you (formal) will have contained |
Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéremos contenido | we will have contained |
Vosotras / Vosotros | hubiereis contenido | you (plural) will have contained |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieren contenido | they will have contained, |
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Imperative Tenses of Contener
Contener in the Imperative Affirmative
The Imperative Affirmative is used to give orders and commands, to tell someone to do something. For example, "contenga", meaning "(to you formal) contain!".
In Spanish, the Imperative Affirmative is known as "El Imperativo Afirmativo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | - | - |
Tú | contén | (to you) contain! |
Ella / Él / Usted | contenga | (to you formal) contain! |
Nosotras / Nosotros | contengamos | let's contain! |
Vosotras / Vosotros | contened | (to you plural) contain! |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | contengan | (to you plural formal) contain! |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Contener in the Imperative Negative
The Imperative Negative is used to give orders and commands, telling someone not to do something. For example, "no contenga", meaning "(to you formal) don't contain!".
In Spanish, the Imperative Negative is known as "El Imperativo Negativo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | - | - |
Tú | no contengas | (to you) don't contain! |
Ella / Él / Usted | no contenga | (to you formal) don't contain! |
Nosotras / Nosotros | no contengamos | let's not contain! |
Vosotras / Vosotros | no contengáis | (to you plural) don't contain! |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | no contengan | (to you plural formal) don't contain! |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Downloadable cheat sheets
Download and print a cheat sheet of Contener Spanish conjugation tables in image or PDF format:
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Practice Contener conjugations (free mobile & web app)
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Contener: to contain, to hold, to include
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