The Present Subjunctive of mantenerse is used to express wishes, desires, or uncertainty about maintaining or keeping something, for example: Es importante que te mantengas en forma. (It’s important that you stay in shape.)

Mantenerse is an irregular verb, meaning its conjugations do not follow the typical patterns of regular verbs. You’ll need to memorize its unique set of conjugations for each subject pronoun in the Present Subjunctive.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Mantenerse (to maintain oneself) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Latin American Spanish):

The present subjunctive of mantenerse is used to express wishes, desires, demands, or uncertainty about the subject maintaining or keeping something.

To maintain or keep something: For example, Es importante que te mantengas en forma. (It’s important that you stay in shape.)

To persevere or persist: For example, Aunque sea difícil, es necesario que te mantengas firme en tus convicciones. (Although it’s difficult, it’s necessary that you stand firm in your convictions.)

To remain or stay (in a place or condition): For example, Es mejor que te mantengas alejado de las malas compañías. (It’s better that you stay away from bad company.)

To keep or maintain (a job, relationship, etc.): For example, Para que te mantengas en tu trabajo, debes ser más responsable. (For you to keep your job, you must be more responsible.)

To support or sustain (financially): For example, Es necesario que te mantengas trabajando para mantener a tu familia. (It’s necessary that you keep working to support your family.)

Examples

Examples of Mantenerse in the Subjunctive Mood

Es importante que te mantengas en forma para tener buena salud. (It’s important that you stay in shape to be healthy.)

El entrenador nos dijo que nos mantengamos enfocados durante el partido. (The coach told us to stay focused during the game.)

Aunque sea difícil, es necesario que te mantengas positivo en situaciones estresantes. (Although it’s difficult, it’s necessary that you stay positive in stressful situations.)

Para evitar problemas, es mejor que te mantengas alejado de esa gente. (To avoid problems, it’s better that you stay away from those people.)

Ojalá que te mantengas fiel a tus principios sin importar las circunstancias. (Hopefully you stay true to your principles no matter the circumstances.)

Mis padres insisten en que me mantenga estudiando aunque esté cansado. (My parents insist that I keep studying even when I’m tired.)

El médico recomienda que te mantengas hidratado tomando suficiente agua. (The doctor recommends that you stay hydrated by drinking enough water.)

Aunque cueste, es importante que te mantengas firme en tus convicciones. (Although it’s difficult, it’s important that you stand firm in your convictions.)

Para tener éxito, es crucial que te mantengas enfocado en tus metas. (To be successful, it’s crucial that you stay focused on your goals.)

A pesar de las dificultades, espero que te mantengas perseverante y no te rindas. (Despite the difficulties, I hope you stay persevering and don’t give up.)

Aunque sea tentador, es mejor que te mantengas alejado de los chismes y rumores. (Although it’s tempting, it’s better that you stay away from gossip and rumors.)

Para mantener una buena relación, es importante que te mantengas honesto con tu pareja. (To maintain a good relationship, it’s important that you stay honest with your partner.)

Aunque sea difícil al principio, es recomendable que te mantengas constante con tu rutina de ejercicio. (Although it’s difficult at first, it’s advisable that you stay consistent with your exercise routine.)

Para evitar problemas legales, es mejor que te mantengas dentro de los límites de la ley. (To avoid legal problems, it’s better that you stay within the limits of the law.)

Aunque sea un reto, es importante que te mantengas abierto a nuevas ideas y perspectivas. (Although it’s a challenge, it’s important that you stay open to new ideas and perspectives.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Mantenerse (to maintain oneself) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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

Synonyms

The Subjunctive mood is also known as the Simple Subjunctive, Subjunctive Present, or Present Subjunctive Mood in English, and as Presente de Subjuntivo, Subjuntivo Presente, Presente del Modo Subjuntivo, or Tiempo Presente del Subjuntivo in Spanish.