Conjugate retener in Spanish
to retain, to hold back
retener is an irregular -er verb ranked #2318 among the most common Spanish verbs. For example: "Retuvo los documentos ilegalmente." (He retained the documents illegally.). Use the tables below for full conjugation across all 7 tenses.
retener — Spanish Conjugation Chart
to retain, to hold back · -er verb · irregular (go-verb) · conjugado.com
Describes current actions, habits, and general truths. The most frequently used tense — master it first.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | retengo * |
| tú | retienes * |
| él/ella/Ud. | retiene * |
| nosotros | retenemos |
| vosotros | retenéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | retienen * |
El agua retiene el calor.
Water retains heat.
Describes completed past actions with a clear start and end. Key signals: ayer, el lunes pasado, de repente.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | retuve * |
| tú | retuviste * |
| él/ella/Ud. | retuvo * |
| nosotros | retuvimos * |
| vosotros | retuvisteis * |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | retuvieron * |
Retuvo los documentos ilegalmente.
He retained the documents illegally.
Describes habitual past actions, background context, and ongoing states. Key signals: siempre, normalmente, cuando era niño.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | retenía |
| tú | retenías |
| él/ella/Ud. | retenía |
| nosotros | reteníamos |
| vosotros | reteníais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | retenían |
Antes yo retenía con frecuencia.
Before, I used to retain, to hold back often.
Describes future events and predictions. In everyday speech, ir a + infinitive is often preferred for planned events.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | retendré * |
| tú | retendrás * |
| él/ella/Ud. | retendrá * |
| nosotros | retendremos * |
| vosotros | retendréis * |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | retendrán * |
Mañana yo retendré.
Tomorrow I will retain, to hold back.
Expresses what would happen under certain conditions — equivalent to "would" in English. Also used for polite requests.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | retendría * |
| tú | retendrías * |
| él/ella/Ud. | retendría * |
| nosotros | retendríamos * |
| vosotros | retendríais * |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | retendrían * |
Si pudiera, yo retendría.
If I could, I would retain, to hold back.
Used in clauses expressing wishes, doubt, emotion, or uncertainty — typically after que. Triggers: querer, esperar, dudar, ojalá.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | retenga * |
| tú | retengas * |
| él/ella/Ud. | retenga * |
| nosotros | retengamos * |
| vosotros | retengáis * |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | retengan * |
Espero que tú retengas.
I hope that you retain, to hold back.
Used to give commands and direct requests. Affirmative and negative forms differ significantly in Spanish.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | - |
| tú | retén * |
| él/ella/Ud. | retenga * |
| nosotros | retengamos * |
| vosotros | retened |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | retengan * |
¡Retén!
Retain, to hold back!
Test yourself
Type the correct conjugation for each prompt.
Example sentences
-
Retuvo los documentos ilegalmente.
He retained the documents illegally.
-
El agua retiene el calor.
Water retains heat.
Common phrases with retener
- retener información to retain information
- retener a alguien to detain someone