-er verb irregular · go-verb-irregular-stem C1 · Advanced

Conjugate sostener in Spanish

to sustain, to hold up, to maintain

sostener is an irregular -er verb ranked #2405 among the most common Spanish verbs. For example: "Sostén el libro con ambas manos." (Hold the book with both hands.). Use the tables below for full conjugation across all 7 tenses.

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⚡ Irregular verb — sostener (go-verb-irregular-stem) does not follow standard -er patterns. Pay close attention to the stems in each tense.

Describes current actions, habits, and general truths. The most frequently used tense — master it first.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo sostengo *
sostienes *
él/ella/Ud. sostiene *
nosotros sostenemos
vosotros sostenéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. sostienen *
Example

Yo sostengo todos los días.

I sustain, to hold up, to maintain every day.

Describes completed past actions with a clear start and end. Key signals: ayer, el lunes pasado, de repente.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo sostuve *
sostuviste *
él/ella/Ud. sostuvo *
nosotros sostuvimos *
vosotros sostuvisteis *
ellos/ellas/Uds. sostuvieron *
Example

Ayer yo sostuve.

Yesterday I sustain, to hold up, to maintain.

Describes habitual past actions, background context, and ongoing states. Key signals: siempre, normalmente, cuando era niño.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo sostenía
sostenías
él/ella/Ud. sostenía
nosotros sosteníamos
vosotros sosteníais
ellos/ellas/Uds. sostenían
Example

Antes yo sostenía con frecuencia.

Before, I used to sustain, to hold up, to maintain often.

Describes future events and predictions. In everyday speech, ir a + infinitive is often preferred for planned events.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo sostendré *
sostendrás *
él/ella/Ud. sostendrá *
nosotros sostendremos *
vosotros sostendréis *
ellos/ellas/Uds. sostendrán *
Example

Mañana yo sostendré.

Tomorrow I will sustain, to hold up, to maintain.

Expresses what would happen under certain conditions — equivalent to "would" in English. Also used for polite requests.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo sostendría *
sostendrías *
él/ella/Ud. sostendría *
nosotros sostendríamos *
vosotros sostendríais *
ellos/ellas/Uds. sostendrían *
Example

Si pudiera, yo sostendría.

If I could, I would sustain, to hold up, to maintain.

Used in clauses expressing wishes, doubt, emotion, or uncertainty — typically after que. Triggers: querer, esperar, dudar, ojalá.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo sostenga *
sostengas *
él/ella/Ud. sostenga *
nosotros sostengamos *
vosotros sostengáis *
ellos/ellas/Uds. sostengan *
Example

Espero que tú sostengas.

I hope that you sustain, to hold up, to maintain.

Used to give commands and direct requests. Affirmative and negative forms differ significantly in Spanish.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo -
sostén *
él/ella/Ud. sostenga *
nosotros sostengamos *
vosotros sostened
ellos/ellas/Uds. sostengan *
Example

Sostén el libro con ambas manos.

Hold the book with both hands.

Test yourself

Type the correct conjugation for each prompt.

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Example sentences

Common phrases with sostener

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