The Conditional Mood of detenerse is used to talk about hypothetical situations in the future, for example: Me detendría en la gasolinera si tuviera poco combustible. (I would stop at the gas station if I had little fuel.)

Detenerse is a stem-changing verb, which means the vowel in the stem changes in certain conjugations. For the Conditional, the e changes to i in all forms except nosotros and vosotras.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Atenerse (to abide by) in the Conditional Mood tense (Latin American Spanish):

The conditional mood of detenerse is used to express hypothetical situations, wishes, or possibilities in the future.

To stop or halt: For example, Me detendría en esa gasolinera si necesitara cargar combustible. (I would stop at that gas station if I needed to fill up on fuel.)

To pause or take a break: For example, Nos detendríamos a comer algo en el camino. (We would stop to eat something on the way.)

To linger or stay (colloquial): For example, No me detendría mucho tiempo en esa fiesta aburrida. (I wouldn’t linger too long at that boring party.)

To stop someone or something (figurative): For example, La policía lo detendría si intentara escapar. (The police would stop him if he tried to escape.)

Examples

Examples of Atenerse in the Conditional Mood

Si te detendrías a pensar en ello, te darías cuenta de que estás tomando la decisión equivocada. (If you would stop to think about it, you’d realize you’re making the wrong decision.)

Aunque el tráfico estaba muy pesado, me detendría en la gasolinera para comprar un refresco. (Even though traffic was really heavy, I would stop at the gas station to buy a soda.)

En el parque, los niños se detendrían para admirar las ardillas corriendo por los árboles. (At the park, the kids would stop to admire the squirrels running through the trees.)

Antes de salir de viaje, detendría el correo y las entregas para que no se acumularan. (Before going on a trip, I would stop the mail and deliveries so they don’t pile up.)

Aunque tenía prisa, te detendrías para ayudar a un anciano a cruzar la calle, ¿verdad? (Even though you were in a hurry, you would stop to help an elderly person cross the street, right?)

En la reunión, el jefe se detendría para escuchar las preocupaciones de los empleados. (In the meeting, the boss would stop to listen to the employees’ concerns.)

Después de una larga caminata, me detendría a descansar un rato bajo la sombra de un árbol. (After a long hike, I would stop to rest for a while under the shade of a tree.)

Aunque estaba apurado, detendría mi auto para dejar pasar a un grupo de patos cruzando la calle. (Even though I was in a hurry, I would stop my car to let a group of ducks cross the street.)

En el concierto, la multitud se detendría para vitorear al cantante después de cada canción. (At the concert, the crowd would stop to cheer for the singer after each song.)

Cuando vio el accidente, te detendrías para ayudar a las víctimas, ¿no es cierto? (When you saw the accident, you would stop to help the victims, wouldn’t you?)

A pesar de la prisa, detendría mi auto para dejar pasar a una ambulancia con la sirena encendida. (Despite being in a hurry, I would stop my car to let an ambulance with its siren on pass.)

En el museo, los turistas se detendrían para admirar las pinturas y esculturas famosas. (At the museum, the tourists would stop to admire the famous paintings and sculptures.)

Aunque estaba ocupado, me detendría para escuchar los problemas de mi hijo y tratar de ayudarlo. (Even though I was busy, I would stop to listen to my son’s problems and try to help him.)

En la playa, los surfistas se detendrían para observar las olas y esperar la ola perfecta. (At the beach, the surfers would stop to watch the waves and wait for the perfect wave.)

Aunque tenía mucho trabajo, detendría mi computadora para tomar un descanso y estirar las piernas. (Even though I had a lot of work, I would stop my computer to take a break and stretch my legs.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Atenerse (to abide by) 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.