The Imperfect Tense of mantenerse is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Me mantenía en forma haciendo ejercicio todos los días. (I kept myself in shape by exercising every day.)
This verb follows the standard conjugation pattern for regular -er verbs in the Imperfect Tense, with the endings -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -ían.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Mantenerse (to stay, remain) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
Pronoun | Conjugation |
---|---|
Yo | me mantenía |
Tú | te mantenías |
Él / Ella / Usted | se mantenía |
Nosotros / Nosotras | nos manteníamos |
Vosotros / Vosotras | os manteníais |
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | se mantenían |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Mantenerse (to stay, remain) in the Imperfect 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 Mantenerse in the Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense of mantenerse is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as descriptions and states of being.
To keep or maintain something: For example, Me mantenía en forma haciendo ejercicio todos los días. (I kept myself in shape by exercising every day.)
To support or sustain: For example, Mis padres se mantenían trabajando duro. (My parents sustained themselves by working hard.)
To persist or continue: For example, La lluvia se mantenía durante días. (The rain kept going for days.)
To remain or stay: For example, Me mantenía alejado de los problemas. (I stayed away from trouble.)
To hold one’s position (colloquial): For example, A pesar de las críticas, el político se mantenía firme. (Despite the criticism, the politician held their ground.)
Examples
Examples of Mantenerse in the Imperfect Tense
Yo me mantenía en forma haciendo ejercicio todos los días. (I kept myself in shape by exercising every day.)
Ella se mantenía al tanto de las noticias leyendo el periódico por la mañana. (She kept up with the news by reading the newspaper in the morning.)
Nosotros nos manteníamos ocupados con nuestros proyectos personales durante el fin de semana. (We kept ourselves busy with our personal projects over the weekend.)
Tú te mantenías alejado de los problemas, evitando las discusiones. (You kept yourself away from problems, avoiding arguments.)
Ellos se mantenían en contacto con sus familiares a través de videollamadas. (They kept in touch with their relatives through video calls.)
Ustedes se mantenían informados sobre los eventos culturales de la ciudad. (You kept yourselves informed about the cultural events in the city.)
Vosotros os manteníais motivados para alcanzar vuestras metas profesionales. (You kept yourselves motivated to achieve your professional goals.)
Ella se mantenía al margen de los chismes de la oficina. (She kept herself out of the office gossip.)
Nosotros nos manteníamos en calma durante las situaciones estresantes. (We kept ourselves calm during stressful situations.)
Tú te mantenías ocupado con tus pasatiempos favoritos en tu tiempo libre. (You kept yourself busy with your favorite hobbies in your free time.)
Ellos se mantenían al día con las últimas tendencias de la moda. (They kept up with the latest fashion trends.)
Ustedes se mantenían activos participando en deportes de equipo. (You kept yourselves active by participating in team sports.)
Vosotros os manteníais en forma comiendo una dieta saludable. (You kept yourselves in shape by eating a healthy diet.)
Ella se mantenía al tanto de los avances tecnológicos leyendo blogs especializados. (She kept up with technological advancements by reading specialized blogs.)
Nosotros nos manteníamos alejados de las situaciones peligrosas por precaución. (We kept ourselves away from dangerous situations as a precaution.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Mantenerse (to stay, remain) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
Spanish | English |
---|---|
Yo me mantenía | I was staying |
Tú te mantenías | You were staying |
Él / Ella / Usted se mantenía | He / She / You (formal) was staying |
Nosotros / Nosotras nos manteníamos | We were staying |
Vosotros / Vosotras os manteníais | You all were staying |
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes se mantenían | They / You all (formal) were staying |
This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.