The Present Tense of contener is used to express actions or states that are currently happening or that occur habitually. For example, El frasco contiene agua. (The bottle contains water.)
Contener is an irregular verb, meaning its conjugations don’t follow the standard patterns of regular verbs.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Contener (to contain) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | contengo |
| Tú | contienes |
| Él / Ella / Usted | contiene |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | contenemos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | contenéis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | contienen |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Contener (to contain) in the Present Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Contener in the Present Tense
Contener generally means to contain or hold something, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.
To contain or hold: For example, La caja contiene libros. (The box contains books.)
To restrain or control: For example, No puedo contener mi ira. (I cannot contain my anger.)
To include or comprise: For example, El libro contiene muchos capítulos. (The book contains many chapters.)
To stop or prevent: For example, Contengo mi respiración bajo el agua. (I hold my breath under water.)
Colloquial usage (rude): For example, ¡Contente, idiota! (Shut up, idiot!)
Examples
Examples of Contener in the Present Tense
Yo contengo mi emoción cuando me enojo. (I contain my emotion when I get angry.)
El tanque contiene suficiente agua para todo el día. (The tank contains enough water for the whole day.)
Nosotros contenemos nuestro aliento cuando vemos algo emocionante. (We hold our breath when we see something exciting.)
¿Contienes tus ganas de gritar cuando estás emocionado? (Do you contain your urge to shout when you’re excited?)
La caja fuerte contiene los documentos importantes. (The safe contains the important documents.)
Ellos contienen su risa durante la reunión seria. (They contain their laughter during the serious meeting.)
¿Ustedes contienen su emoción cuando ganan un premio? (Do you contain your emotion when you win a prize?)
La novela contiene escenas de violencia, así que ten cuidado. (The novel contains violent scenes, so be careful.)
Nosotros contenemos nuestra respiración cuando buceamos. (We hold our breath when we dive.)
El frasco contiene especias picantes, así que ten cuidado. (The jar contains spicy spices, so be careful.)
Ellos contienen su enojo cuando discuten con sus jefes. (They contain their anger when they argue with their bosses.)
¿Contienes tus ganas de comer dulces cuando estás a dieta? (Do you contain your urge to eat sweets when you’re on a diet?)
La caja contiene regalos para los niños, así que no la abras. (The box contains gifts for the children, so don’t open it.)
Nosotros contenemos nuestras emociones cuando estamos en público. (We contain our emotions when we are in public.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Contener (to contain) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo contengo | I contain |
| Tú contienes | You contain |
| Él / Ella / Usted contiene | He / She / You (formal) contains |
| Nosotros / Nosotras contenemos | We contain |
| Vosotros / Vosotras contenéis | You all contain |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes contienen | They / You all (formal) contain |
This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.