The Conditional Mood of retener is used to express what you would do or what would happen under certain circumstances, for example: Yo retendría la información si pudiera. (I would retain the information if I could.)

Retener is a stem-changing verb, meaning the vowel in the stem changes in certain conjugations. For the Conditional, the e changes to i in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Extenderse (to extend oneself) in the Conditional Mood tense (Latin American Spanish):

The conditional mood of retener is used to express hypothetical or potential situations in the future.

To retain or keep: For example, retendría el dinero en el banco (I would keep the money in the bank). This meaning implies holding onto something or preventing it from being lost or taken away.

To withhold or hold back: For example, el gobierno retendría los impuestos de mi sueldo (the government would withhold taxes from my salary). This usage suggests restraining or not allowing something to be released.

To remember or recall (colloquial): For example, no retendría los detalles del accidente (I wouldn’t remember the details of the accident). In informal contexts, it can mean keeping information in one’s memory.

To detain or hold back (idiomatic): For example, la policía me retendría por conducir ebrio (the police would detain me for drunk driving). Figuratively, it can imply preventing someone from leaving or holding them back.

Examples

Examples of Extenderse in the Conditional Mood

Si retendría más información, estudiaría con más frecuencia. (If I would retain more information, I would study more often.)

El entrenador nos dijo que retendríamos más jugadas si practicábamos más. (The coach told us that we would retain more plays if we practiced more.)

Aunque retendría los detalles con más facilidad, a veces me distraigo con facilidad. (Although I would retain the details more easily, sometimes I get distracted easily.)

Si retendrías la información de manera más eficiente, ¿aprobarías el examen? (If you would retain the information more efficiently, would you pass the exam?)

Los expertos dicen que retendríamos más si tomáramos notas a mano. (Experts say that we would retain more if we took notes by hand.)

Aunque retendrían los datos con más facilidad, algunos prefieren no usar la memoria a largo plazo. (Although they would retain the data more easily, some prefer not to use long-term memory.)

Si retendría los números de teléfono como antes, no necesitaría anotar tantos contactos. (If I would retain phone numbers like before, I wouldn’t need to write down so many contacts.)

Dicen que si retendrías más vocabulario, tu español mejoraría rápidamente. (They say that if you would retain more vocabulary, your Spanish would improve quickly.)

Aunque retendríamos más detalles si tomáramos notas, a veces es difícil concentrarse. (Although we would retain more details if we took notes, sometimes it’s hard to concentrate.)

Si retendrían las instrucciones con más cuidado, no cometerían tantos errores. (If they would retain the instructions more carefully, they wouldn’t make so many mistakes.)

Dicen que si retendría más de lo que leo, mi comprensión lectora mejoraría. (They say that if I would retain more of what I read, my reading comprehension would improve.)

Aunque retendrías la información más fácilmente, a veces es difícil concentrarse en clases aburridas. (Although you would retain the information more easily, sometimes it’s hard to concentrate in boring classes.)

Si retendríamos los consejos de nuestros padres, evitaríamos muchos problemas. (If we would retain our parents’ advice, we would avoid many problems.)

Dicen que si retendrían más de lo que aprenden, los estudiantes tendrían más éxito académico. (They say that if students would retain more of what they learn, they would have more academic success.)

Aunque retendría los detalles con más facilidad, a veces me distraigo con las notificaciones de mi teléfono. (Although I would retain the details more easily, sometimes I get distracted by notifications on my phone.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Extenderse (to extend oneself) in the Conditional Mood tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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

Synonyms

The Conditional mood is also known as the Simple Conditional, Conditional Simple, Would Tense, or Future of the Past in English, and as Condicional Simple, Pospretérito, Potencial Simple, or Condicional de Indicativo in Spanish.