The Present Tense of retener is used to express actions or states that are currently happening or that occur habitually. For example, Retengo la información importante. (I retain important information.)

Retener is an irregular verb, meaning its conjugation follows a unique pattern that deviates from the standard rules.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Retener (to retain) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

Retener generally means to retain, hold back or keep something, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To retain or keep: For example, Retengo la información en mi mente. (I retain the information in my mind.)

To hold back or withhold: For example, El gobierno retiene impuestos de nuestros salarios. (The government withholds taxes from our salaries.)

To detain or hold someone: For example, La policía retiene a los sospechosos. (The police detain the suspects.)

To constrain or control: For example, No puedo retener mi ira. (I cannot contain my anger.)

To remember or recall: For example, Retengo los detalles importantes. (I remember the important details.)

Slang: To hold someone back: For example, ¡Retenlo, que se va a pelear! (Hold him back, he’s going to fight!)

Examples

Examples of Retener in the Present Tense

Yo retengo mucha información cuando estudio. (I retain a lot of information when I study.)

¿Por qué retienes tanto estrés? Deberías relajarte más. (Why do you retain so much stress? You should relax more.)

Mi memoria retiene los detalles importantes. (My memory retains important details.)

Nosotros retenemos el agua de lluvia para regar las plantas. (We retain rainwater to water the plants.)

¿Retenéis la información de las clases o se les olvida rápido? (Do you retain the information from classes or do you forget it quickly?)

Los expertos retienen los conocimientos clave de su campo. (Experts retain key knowledge in their field.)

En mi trabajo, retengo los detalles de los proyectos importantes. (At my job, I retain the details of important projects.)

¿Por qué retienes tanta ropa vieja? Es hora de donarla. (Why do you retain so many old clothes? It’s time to donate them.)

La empresa retiene un porcentaje de nuestro salario para impuestos. (The company retains a percentage of our salary for taxes.)

Nosotros retenemos la esperanza de un futuro mejor. (We retain hope for a better future.)

¿Retenéis los números de teléfono importantes o los anotan? (Do you retain important phone numbers or do you write them down?)

Ellos retienen la costumbre de celebrar las fiestas tradicionales. (They retain the custom of celebrating traditional holidays.)

En la clase de yoga, retengo la respiración por unos segundos. (In the yoga class, I retain my breath for a few seconds.)

¿Por qué retienes tanto rencor? Deberías perdonar y seguir adelante. (Why do you retain so much resentment? You should forgive and move on.)

La policía retiene a los sospechosos durante la investigación. (The police retain the suspects during the investigation.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Retener (to retain) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

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.