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Conjugation Chart of “Sostener” (to sustain/support) in the Preterite (Past) Tense

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Understanding the Preterite (Past) Tense of “Sostener”

The preterite of sostener is used to express a specific instance of sustaining or supporting something in the past, for example Sostuve el peso durante cinco minutos (I sustained the weight for five minutes). This tense emphasizes the completed action of supporting at a particular moment.

This is an irregular verb that follows the same pattern as ‘tener’ in the preterite, changing to ‘sostuv-‘ in all forms.

How to Use Sostener in the Preterite (Past) Tense

The preterite of sostener expresses a completed action of holding up or maintaining in the past.

To hold up/support: Describes physically supporting something, for example Sostuve la escalera mientras él trabajaba (I held the ladder while he worked) or Sostuvo el bebé con cuidado (She held the baby carefully).

To maintain/sustain: Used for maintaining an argument or position, for example Sostuvo su posición durante el debate (He/she maintained their position during the debate).

Real Life Examples of Sostener in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Sostuve la puerta mientras entraban. (I held the door while they entered.)

Sostuviste tu posición durante el debate. (You maintained your position during the debate.)

El pilar sostuvo el techo por años. (The pillar supported the roof for years.)

Sostuvimos la cuerda durante el rescate. (We held the rope during the rescue.)

Los argumentos sostuvieron su teoría. (The arguments supported their theory.)

Sostuve al bebé mientras dormía. (I held the baby while they slept.)

Sostuviste el paraguas bajo la lluvia. (You held the umbrella in the rain.)

La estructura sostuvo el peso del edificio. (The structure supported the weight of the building.)

Sostuvimos una conversación importante. (We had an important conversation.)

Las columnas sostuvieron el puente. (The columns supported the bridge.)

Sostuve mi opinión con firmeza. (I firmly maintained my opinion.)

Sostuviste la lámpara mientras trabajaba. (You held the lamp while I worked.)

El equipo sostuvo su ventaja hasta el final. (The team maintained their lead until the end.)

Sostuvimos la pancarta durante la manifestación. (We held the banner during the demonstration.)

Los datos sostuvieron la hipótesis. (The data supported the hypothesis.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Sostener (to sustain/support) in the Preterite (Past) Tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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

Synonyms

The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.