The Subjunctive Mood of Sostener is used to express wishes, desires, or uncertainty about sustaining or maintaining something, for example: Espero que sostengas tu promesa. (I hope you keep your promise.)

Sostener is an irregular verb in the Subjunctive Mood, meaning its conjugations do not follow a set pattern and must be memorized individually.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Sostener (to hold up) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Castilian Spanish):

Sostener generally means to hold, support, or maintain something, but has several different meanings in the Subjunctive Mood, some of which might surprise you.

To support or maintain: for example, Es importante que sostengas tus convicciones (It’s important that you uphold your convictions).

To claim or argue: for example, Aunque sostengas que es inocente, las pruebas dicen lo contrario (Even if you claim he’s innocent, the evidence says otherwise).

To endure or withstand: for example, No creo que pueda sostener tanto estrés (I don’t think I can withstand so much stress).

To keep going or persist: for example, Aunque sea difícil, sostengas el ritmo (Even if it’s hard, keep up the pace).

To feed or provide for: for example, Es su deber sostener a su familia (It’s his duty to provide for his family).

To deal with or put up with (colloquial): for example, ¿Cómo sostengas a ese pesado? (How do you put up with that annoying person?)

Examples

Examples of Sostener in the Subjunctive Mood

Es importante que sostengas una buena postura al sentarte. (It’s important that you maintain good posture when sitting.)

Aunque no sea fácil, es crucial que sostengas la calma en situaciones estresantes. (Although it’s not easy, it’s crucial that you remain calm in stressful situations.)

Para que el negocio prospere, es necesario que sostengamos buenas relaciones con los clientes. (For the business to thrive, it’s necessary that we maintain good relationships with customers.)

Ojalá que sostengan su compromiso con el medio ambiente. (Hopefully they maintain their commitment to the environment.)

Es fundamental que sostengáis una comunicación abierta en la relación. (It’s essential that you maintain open communication in the relationship.)

Dudo que sostengan esa posición por mucho tiempo. (I doubt they’ll maintain that position for long.)

A menos que sostengas un ritmo constante, no terminarás el proyecto a tiempo. (Unless you maintain a steady pace, you won’t finish the project on time.)

Siempre y cuando sostengamos nuestra determinación, lograremos nuestras metas. (As long as we maintain our determination, we’ll achieve our goals.)

Es imprescindible que sostenga una actitud profesional en todo momento. (It’s essential that you maintain a professional attitude at all times.)

Aunque cueste, es importante que sostengas tus principios. (Even though it’s difficult, it’s important that you uphold your principles.)

Para que el equipo funcione bien, es necesario que todos sostengamos un alto nivel de compromiso. (For the team to function well, it’s necessary that we all maintain a high level of commitment.)

Espero que sostengan su amistad a pesar de las diferencias. (I hope they maintain their friendship despite their differences.)

Es crucial que sostenga una buena relación con sus suegros. (It’s crucial that you maintain a good relationship with your in-laws.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Sostener (to hold up) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American 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.