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Conjugation Chart of “Mantener” (to maintain) in the Preterite (Past) Tense

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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Mantener”

The preterite of mantener is used to express when someone maintained or kept something for a specific period in the past. For example, “She maintained her position despite the pressure” – “Mantuvo su posición a pesar de la presión.”

This is an irregular verb in the preterite tense. Like tener, it uses the stem ‘tuv-‘ throughout all conjugations.

How to Use Mantener in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The Preterite of mantener expresses completed actions of maintaining or keeping.

To maintain/keep: Used for sustaining a state or condition, for example Mantuve mi promesa (I kept my promise), or Mantuvieron el secreto durante años (They maintained the secret for years).

To support/provide for: Can refer to supporting or sustaining others, for example Mantuvo a su familia con su trabajo (She supported her family with her work).

Real Life Examples of Mantener in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Mantuve la calma durante la crisis. (I maintained calm during the crisis.)

El equipo mantuvo su ventaja hasta el final. (The team maintained their lead until the end.)

¿Cómo mantuviste el secreto tanto tiempo? (How did you keep the secret for so long?)

Mantuvimos el contacto después de graduarnos. (We maintained contact after graduating.)

Los precios se mantuvieron estables todo el año. (Prices remained stable all year.)

El gobierno mantuvo su posición firme. (The government maintained its firm position.)

Mantuviste tu promesa hasta el final. (You kept your promise until the end.)

La empresa mantuvo su reputación intacta. (The company maintained its reputation intact.)

Mantuvimos la tradición familiar. (We maintained the family tradition.)

Se mantuvieron unidos en los momentos difíciles. (They stayed united in difficult times.)

Mantuve mi palabra a pesar de todo. (I kept my word despite everything.)

El edificio mantuvo su estructura original. (The building maintained its original structure.)

Mantuvieron el orden durante el evento. (They maintained order during the event.)

Mantuviste la compostura admirablemente. (You maintained your composure admirably.)

El artista mantuvo su estilo único. (The artist maintained their unique style.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Mantener (to maintain) in the Preterite (Past) Tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.