How to conjugate Retener in Spanish
To hold back, to withhold Irregular Verb
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Indicative tenses of Retener
- Retener in the Indicative Present
- Retener in the Indicative Preterite
- Retener in the Indicative Imperfect
- Retener in the Indicative Present Continuous
- Retener in the Indicative Informal Future
- Retener in the Indicative Future
- Retener in the Indicative Conditional
- Retener in the Indicative Present Perfect
- Retener in the Indicative Past Perfect
- Retener in the Indicative Future Perfect
- Retener in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
- Subjunctive tenses of Retener
- Imperative tenses of Retener
- Downloadable cheat sheet (PDF)
- Practice Retener conjugations (free mobile app)
Introduction
Retener is the Spanish verb for "to hold back, to withhold". It is an irregular verb. Read on below to see how it is conjugated in the 18 major Spanish tenses!
Item | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Infinitive | retener | to hold back, to withhold |
Past participle | retenido | held back |
Gerund | reteniendo | holding back |
Indicative Tenses of Retener
Retener in the Indicative Present
The Indicative Present of retener 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, "retengo", meaning "I hold back".
In Spanish, the Indicative Present is known as "El Presente".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | retengo | I hold back |
Tú | retienes | you hold back |
Ella / Él / Usted | retiene | s/he holds back, you (formal) hold back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | retenemos | we hold back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | retenéis | you (plural) hold back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | retienen | they hold back, |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Retener in the Indicative Preterite
The Indicative Preterite of retener is used to talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time. For example, "retuve", meaning "I held back".
In Spanish, the Indicative Preterite is known as "El Pretérito Indefinido".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | retuve | I held back |
Tú | retuviste | you held back |
Ella / Él / Usted | retuvo | s/he held back, you (formal) held back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | retuvimos | we held back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | retuvisteis | you (plural) held back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | retuvieron | they held back, |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Retener in the Indicative Imperfect
The Indicative Imperfect of retener is used to describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do. For example, "retenía", meaning "I used to hold back".
In Spanish, the Indicative Imperfect is known as "El Pretérito Imperfecto".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | retenía | I used to hold back |
Tú | retenías | you used to hold back |
Ella / Él / Usted | retenía | s/he used to hold back, you (formal) used to hold back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | reteníamos | we used to hold back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | reteníais | you (plural) used to hold back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | retenían | they used to hold back, |
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Retener in the Indicative Present Continuous
The Indicative Present Continuous of retener is used to talk about something that is happening continuously or right now. For example, "estoy reteniendo", meaning "I am holding back".
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Continuous is known as "El Presente Progresivo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | estoy reteniendo | I am holding back |
Tú | estás reteniendo | you are holding back |
Ella / Él / Usted | está reteniendo | s/he is holding back, you (formal) are holding back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | estamos reteniendo | we are holding back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | estáis reteniendo | you (plural) are holding back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | están reteniendo | they are holding back, |
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Retener in the Indicative Informal Future
The Indicative Informal Future of retener is used to talk about something that will happen in the future, especially in the near future. For example, "voy a retener", meaning "I am going to hold back".
In Spanish, the Indicative Informal Future is known as "El Futuro Próximo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | voy a retener | I am going to hold back |
Tú | vas a retener | you are going to hold back |
Ella / Él / Usted | va a retener | s/he is going to hold back, you (formal) are going to hold back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | vamos a retener | we are going to hold back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | vais a retener | you (plural) are going to hold back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | van a retener | they are going to hold back, |
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Retener in the Indicative Future
The Indicative Future of retener is used to talk about something that will happen in the future. For example, "retendré", meaning "I will hold back".
In Spanish, the Indicative Future is known as "El Futuro Simple".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | retendré | I will hold back |
Tú | retendrás | you will hold back |
Ella / Él / Usted | retendrá | s/he will hold back, you (formal) will hold back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | retendremos | we will hold back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | retendréis | you (plural) will hold back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | retendrán | they will hold back, |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Retener in the Indicative Conditional
The Indicative Conditional of retener is used to talk about something that may happen in the future, hypothesis and probabilities. For example, "retendría", meaning "I would hold back".
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional is known as "El Condicional Simple".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | retendría | I would hold back |
Tú | retendrías | you would hold back |
Ella / Él / Usted | retendría | s/he would hold back, you (formal) would hold back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | retendríamos | we would hold back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | retendríais | you (plural) would hold back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | retendrían | they would hold back, |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Retener in the Indicative Present Perfect
The Indicative Present Perfect of retener 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 retenido", meaning "I have held back".
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | he retenido | I have held back |
Tú | has retenido | you have held back |
Ella / Él / Usted | ha retenido | s/he has held back, you (formal) have held back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | hemos retenido | we have held back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | habéis retenido | you (plural) have held back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | han retenido | they have held back, |
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Retener in the Indicative Past Perfect
The Indicative Past Perfect of retener is used to talk about actions that happened before another action in the past. For example, "había retenido", meaning "I had held back".
In Spanish, the Indicative Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | había retenido | I had held back |
Tú | habías retenido | you had held back |
Ella / Él / Usted | había retenido | s/he had held back, you (formal) had held back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | habíamos retenido | we had held back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | habíais retenido | you (plural) had held back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habían retenido | they had held back, |
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Retener in the Indicative Future Perfect
The Indicative Future Perfect of retener is used to talk about something that will have happened in the future after something else has already happened. For example, "habré retenido", meaning "I will have held back".
In Spanish, the Indicative Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | habré retenido | I will have held back |
Tú | habrás retenido | you will have held back |
Ella / Él / Usted | habrá retenido | s/he will have held back, you (formal) will have held back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | habremos retenido | we will have held back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | habréis retenido | you (plural) will have held back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrán retenido | they will have held back, |
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Retener in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
The Indicative Conditional Perfect of retener is used to talk about something that would have happened in the past but didn’t due to another action. For example, "habría retenido", meaning "I would have held back".
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional Perfect is known as "El Condicional Perfecto".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | habría retenido | I would have held back |
Tú | habrías retenido | you would have held back |
Ella / Él / Usted | habría retenido | s/he would have held back, you (formal) would have held back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | habríamos retenido | we would have held back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | habríais retenido | you (plural) would have held back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrían retenido | they would have held back, |
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Subjunctive Tenses of Retener
Retener 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, "retenga", meaning "I hold back".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present is known as "El Presente de Subjuntivo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | retenga | I hold back |
Tú | retengas | you hold back |
Ella / Él / Usted | retenga | s/he holds back, you (formal) hold back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | retengamos | we hold back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | retengáis | you (plural) hold back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | retengan | they hold back, |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Retener 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, "retuviera", meaning "I held back".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Imperfect is known as "El Imperfecto Subjuntivo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | retuviera | I held back |
Tú | retuvieras | you held back |
Ella / Él / Usted | retuviera | s/he held back, you (formal) held back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | retuviéramos | we held back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | retuvierais | you (plural) held back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | retuvieran | they held back, |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Retener 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, "retuviere", meaning "I will hold back".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future is known as "El Futuro de Subjuntivo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | retuviere | I will hold back |
Tú | retuvieres | you will hold back |
Ella / Él / Usted | retuviere | s/he will hold back, you (formal) will hold back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | retuviéremos | we will hold back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | retuviereis | you (plural) will hold back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | retuvieren | they will hold back, |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Retener 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 retenido", meaning "I have held back".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | haya retenido | I have held back |
Tú | hayas retenido | you have held back |
Ella / Él / Usted | haya retenido | s/he has held back, you (formal) have held back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | hayamos retenido | we have held back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | hayáis retenido | you (plural) have held back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hayan retenido | they have held back, |
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Retener 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 retenido", meaning "I had held back".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | hubiera retenido | I had held back |
Tú | hubieras retenido | you had held back |
Ella / Él / Usted | hubiera retenido | s/he had held back, you (formal) had held back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéramos retenido | we had held back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | hubierais retenido | you (plural) had held back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieran retenido | they had held back, |
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Retener 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 retenido", meaning "I will have held back".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | hubiere retenido | I will have held back |
Tú | hubieres retenido | you will have held back |
Ella / Él / Usted | hubiere retenido | s/he will have held back, you (formal) will have held back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéremos retenido | we will have held back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | hubiereis retenido | you (plural) will have held back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieren retenido | they will have held back, |
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Imperative Tenses of Retener
Retener in the Imperative Affirmative
The Imperative Affirmative is used to give orders and commands, to tell someone to do something. For example, "retenga", meaning "(to you formal) hold! back".
In Spanish, the Imperative Affirmative is known as "El Imperativo Afirmativo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | - | - |
Tú | retén | (to you) hold! back |
Ella / Él / Usted | retenga | (to you formal) hold! back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | retengamos | let's hold! back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | retened | (to you plural) hold! back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | retengan | (to you plural formal) hold! back |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Retener in the Imperative Negative
The Imperative Negative is used to give orders and commands, telling someone not to do something. For example, "no retenga", meaning "(to you formal) don't hold! back".
In Spanish, the Imperative Negative is known as "El Imperativo Negativo".
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | - | - |
Tú | no retengas | (to you) don't hold! back |
Ella / Él / Usted | no retenga | (to you formal) don't hold! back |
Nosotras / Nosotros | no retengamos | let's not hold! back |
Vosotras / Vosotros | no retengáis | (to you plural) don't hold! back |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | no retengan | (to you plural formal) don't hold! back |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Downloadable cheat sheets
Download and print a cheat sheet of Retener Spanish conjugation tables in image or PDF format:
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Retener: to hold back, to withhold
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