tenir
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See also: teñir
Alternative forms
Etymology
Inherited from Early Medieval Latin tenīre, from Classical Latin tenēre with change of conjugation to -ir also found in Occitan and French.
Pronunciation
Verb
tenir (first-person singular present tinc, first-person singular preterite tinguí, past participle tingut); root stress: (Central, Valencia, Balearic) /e/
Conjugation
| infinitive | tenir | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gerund | tenint | ||||||
| past participle | masculine | feminine | |||||
| singular | tingut | tinguda | |||||
| plural | tinguts | tingudes | |||||
| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | jo | tu | ell/ella vostè |
nosaltres nós |
vosaltres vós |
ells/elles vostès | |
| present | tinc | tens | té | tenim | teniu | tenen | |
| imperfect | tenia | tenies | tenia | teníem | teníeu | tenien | |
| future | tindré | tindràs | tindrà | tindrem | tindreu | tindran | |
| preterite | tinguí | tingueres | tingué | tinguérem | tinguéreu | tingueren | |
| conditional | tindria | tindries | tindria | tindríem | tindríeu | tindrien | |
| subjunctive | jo | tu | ell/ella vostè |
nosaltres nós |
vosaltres vós |
ells/elles vostès | |
| present | tingui | tinguis | tingui | tinguem | tingueu | tinguin | |
| imperfect | tingués | tinguessis | tingués | tinguéssim | tinguéssiu | tinguessin | |
| imperative | — | tu | vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres vós |
vostès | |
| affirmative | — | té, ten, tingues | tingui | tinguem | teniu, tingueu | tinguin | |
| negative (no) | — | no tinguis | no tingui | no tinguem | no tingueu | no tinguin | |
Derived terms
Related terms
- tenidor
- teniment
- tinent
References
- “tenir” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “tenir”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
- “tenir” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “tenir” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
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Alternative forms
Etymology
Verb
tenir (ORB, broad)
- to hold
References
Etymology
Inherited from Middle French tenir, from Old French tenir, from Early Medieval Latin tenīre, from Classical Latin tenēre.
Pronunciation
Verb
tenir
- (transitive) to have; to hold
- (transitive) to keep
- (intransitive) to stay; to hold
- tenir bon ― to hold fast, to hold tight
- (reflexive) to hold on [with à ‘to something’]
- Elle descend en se tenant aux racines. ― She comes down using the roots for handles (literally, “She comes down holding on to the roots.”)
- La vie ne tient qu’à un fil. ― Life hangs but by a thread.
- (reflexive) to hold oneself, to be standing
- Il se tenait dans le coin. ― He stood in the corner.
- (reflexive) to maintain, remain in a certain position or disposition
- Tiens-toi droit ! ― Keep yourself straight!
- Elle se tient immobile sur la corde raide. ― She stays still on the tightrope.
- (reflexive) to behave
- (intransitive) to be attached (to), to be fond (of), to hold dear [with à ‘someone/something’]
- (intransitive) to hold dear, to be keen about [with à (+ infinitive) or à ce que (+ subjunctive clause) ‘to do something’]
- (transitive) to consider (something) [with pour ‘as’]
- se le tenir pour dit ― to take it as read
- tenir quelque chose pour acquis ― to take something for granted
- tenir quelqu’un pour rien ― to see someone as insignificant, to treat someone as insignificant
- (intransitive) to support [with pour ‘someone’]
- (intransitive) to hold, to defend [with contre ‘against something’]
- (reflexive, Quebec, slang) to hang out
- 1975, Beau Dommage, "Le Vent d'la ville", Passagers, Capitol Record (ST-70.055 [V], 4XL56355 [K7], CDL-56355 [CD]):
- "J'me tenais dans l’ouest de la ville, ça me fait plus peur l’exil"
- I used to hang out in the west end; exile doesn't scare me anymore.
- 1975, Beau Dommage, "Le Vent d'la ville", Passagers, Capitol Record (ST-70.055 [V], 4XL56355 [K7], CDL-56355 [CD]):
Conjugation
This is a verb in a group of -ir verbs. All verbs ending in -tenir, such as contenir and détenir, are conjugated this way. Such verbs are the only verbs whose the past historic and subjunctive imperfect endings do not start in one of these thematic vowels (-a-, -i-, -u-).
| infinitive | simple | tenir | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| compound | avoir + past participle | ||||||
| present participle or gerund1 | simple | tenant /tə.nɑ̃/ | |||||
| compound | ayant + past participle | ||||||
| past participle | tenu /tə.ny/ | ||||||
| singular | plural | ||||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | je (j’) | tu | il, elle, on | nous | vous | ils, elles | |
| (simple tenses) |
present | tiens /tjɛ̃/ |
tiens /tjɛ̃/ |
tient /tjɛ̃/ |
tenons /tə.nɔ̃/ |
tenez /tə.ne/ |
tiennent /tjɛn/ |
| imperfect | tenais /tə.nɛ/ |
tenais /tə.nɛ/ |
tenait /tə.nɛ/ |
tenions /tə.njɔ̃/ |
teniez /tə.nje/ |
tenaient /tə.nɛ/ | |
| past historic2 | tins /tɛ̃/ |
tins /tɛ̃/ |
tint /tɛ̃/ |
tînmes /tɛ̃m/ |
tîntes /tɛ̃t/ |
tinrent /tɛ̃ʁ/ | |
| future | tiendrai /tjɛ̃.dʁe/ |
tiendras /tjɛ̃.dʁa/ |
tiendra /tjɛ̃.dʁa/ |
tiendrons /tjɛ̃.dʁɔ̃/ |
tiendrez /tjɛ̃.dʁe/ |
tiendront /tjɛ̃.dʁɔ̃/ | |
| conditional | tiendrais /tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ |
tiendrais /tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ |
tiendrait /tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ |
tiendrions /tjɛ̃.dʁi.jɔ̃/ |
tiendriez /tjɛ̃.dʁi.je/ |
tiendraient /tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ | |
| (compound tenses) |
present perfect | present indicative of avoir + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| past anterior2 | past historic of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | future of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | conditional of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que je (j’) | que tu | qu’il, qu’elle | que nous | que vous | qu’ils, qu’elles | |
| (simple tenses) |
present | tienne /tjɛn/ |
tiennes /tjɛn/ |
tienne /tjɛn/ |
tenions /tə.njɔ̃/ |
teniez /tə.nje/ |
tiennent /tjɛn/ |
| imperfect2 | tinsse /tɛ̃s/ |
tinsses /tɛ̃s/ |
tînt /tɛ̃/ |
tinssions /tɛ̃.sjɔ̃/ |
tinssiez /tɛ̃.sje/ |
tinssent /tɛ̃s/ | |
| (compound tenses) |
past | present subjunctive of avoir + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect2 | imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | – | – | ||||
| simple | — | tiens /tjɛ̃/ |
— | tenons /tə.nɔ̃/ |
tenez /tə.ne/ |
— | |
| compound | — | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | — | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | simple imperative of avoir + past participle | — | |
| 1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en. | |||||||
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
(Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81). | |||||||
Conjugation of tenir (see also Appendix:French verbs)
This is a verb in a group of -ir verbs. All verbs ending in -tenir, such as contenir and détenir, are conjugated this way. Such verbs are the only verbs whose the past historic and subjunctive imperfect endings do not start in one of these thematic vowels (-a-, -i-, -u-).
| infinitive | simple | se tenir | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| compound | s'être + past participle | ||||||
| present participle or gerund1 | simple | se tenant /sə tə.nɑ̃/ | |||||
| compound | ayant or étant + past participle | ||||||
| past participle | tenu /tə.ny/ | ||||||
| singular | plural | ||||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | je (j’) | tu | il, elle, on | nous | vous | ils, elles | |
| (simple tenses) |
present | me tiens /mə tjɛ̃/ |
te tiens /tə tjɛ̃/ |
se tient /sə tjɛ̃/ |
nous tenons /nu tə.nɔ̃/ |
vous tenez /vu tə.ne/ |
se tiennent /sə tjɛn/ |
| imperfect | me tenais /mə tə.nɛ/ |
te tenais /tə tə.nɛ/ |
se tenait /sə tə.nɛ/ |
nous tenions /nu tə.njɔ̃/ |
vous teniez /vu tə.nje/ |
se tenaient /sə tə.nɛ/ | |
| past historic2 | me tins /mə tɛ̃/ |
te tins /tə tɛ̃/ |
se tint /sə tɛ̃/ |
nous tînmes /nu tɛ̃m/ |
vous tîntes /vu tɛ̃t/ |
se tinrent /sə tɛ̃ʁ/ | |
| future | me tiendrai /mə tjɛ̃.dʁe/ |
te tiendras /tə tjɛ̃.dʁa/ |
se tiendra /sə tjɛ̃.dʁa/ |
nous tiendrons /nu tjɛ̃.dʁɔ̃/ |
vous tiendrez /vu tjɛ̃.dʁe/ |
se tiendront /sə tjɛ̃.dʁɔ̃/ | |
| conditional | me tiendrais /mə tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ |
te tiendrais /tə tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ |
se tiendrait /sə tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ |
nous tiendrions /nu tjɛ̃.dʁi.jɔ̃/ |
vous tiendriez /vu tjɛ̃.dʁi.je/ |
se tiendraient /sə tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ | |
| (compound tenses) |
present perfect | present indicative of s'être + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | imperfect indicative of s'être + past participle | ||||||
| past anterior2 | past historic of s'être + past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | future of s'être + past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | conditional of s'être + past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que je (j’) | que tu | qu’il, qu’elle | que nous | que vous | qu’ils, qu’elles | |
| (simple tenses) |
present | me tienne /mə tjɛn/ |
te tiennes /tə tjɛn/ |
se tienne /sə tjɛn/ |
nous tenions /nu tə.njɔ̃/ |
vous teniez /vu tə.nje/ |
se tiennent /sə tjɛn/ |
| imperfect2 | me tinsse /mə tɛ̃s/ |
te tinsses /tə tɛ̃s/ |
se tînt /sə tɛ̃/ |
nous tinssions /nu tɛ̃.sjɔ̃/ |
vous tinssiez /vu tɛ̃.sje/ |
se tinssent /sə tɛ̃s/ | |
| (compound tenses) |
past | present subjunctive of s'être + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect2 | imperfect subjunctive of s'être + past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | – | – | ||||
| simple | — | tiens-toi /tjɛ̃.twa/ |
— | tenons-nous /tə.nɔ̃.nu/ |
tenez-vous /tə.ne.vu/ |
— | |
| compound | — | simple imperative of s'être + past participle | — | simple imperative of s'être + past participle | simple imperative of s'être + past participle | — | |
| 1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en. | |||||||
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
(Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81). | |||||||
Conjugation of se tenir (see also Appendix:French verbs)
Derived terms
- à l’impossible nul n’est tenu
- compte tenu de
- mieux vaut tenir que courir
- ne tenir qu’à un cheveu
- ne tenir qu’à un fil
- n’avoir qu’à bien se tenir
- qu’à cela ne tienne
- se le tenir pour dit
- se tenir à carreau
- séance tenante
- s’en tenir là
- tenir à
- tenir à cœur
- tenir à l’œil
- tenir à quelque chose comme à la prunelle de ses yeux
- tenir au corps
- tenir au courant
- tenir au jus
- tenir bon
- tenir chaud
- tenir compagnie
- tenir compte
- tenir de
- tenir debout
- tenir en compte
- tenir en échec
- tenir en grande estime
- tenir en haleine
- tenir en haute estime
- tenir en place
- tenir en respect
- tenir la barre
- tenir la boutique
- tenir la cadence
- tenir la chandelle
- tenir la distance
- tenir la dragée haute
- tenir la jambe
- tenir la route
- tenir le bon bout
- tenir le coup
- tenir le haut du pavé
- tenir le pot droit
- tenir le rythme
- tenir les rênes
- tenir lieu
- tenir l’alcool
- tenir parole
- tenir pour acquis
- tenir pour acquis
- tenir rigueur
- tenir sa langue
- tenir table ouverte
- tenir tête
Related terms
Descendants
- Saint Dominican Creole French: tini
Further reading
- “tenir”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams
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Verb
tenir
- past infinitive of tenar
Etymology
From Old French tenir.
Noun
tenir
- to hold
Descendants
References
- Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881) (tenir, supplement)
Etymology
From Old French tenir, from Early Medieval Latin tenīre, from Classical Latin tenēre.
Verb
tenir
Conjugation
| infinitive | tenir | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gerund | tenant | ||||||
| auxiliary | aveir1 | ||||||
| past participle | masculine | feminine | |||||
| singular | tenu | tenue | |||||
| plural | tenus | tenues | |||||
| singular | plural | ||||||
| 1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | 1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | ||
| indicative | je (j') | tu (t') | il, alle, nos |
je (nos) |
vos | il, alles | |
| present | tiens | tiens | tient | tenoms | tenez | tiennent | |
| imperfect | teneis | teneis | teneit | tenioms | teniez | teneient | |
| preterite | tins | tins | tint | tînmes | tîntes | tîntrent | |
| future | tiendrai | tiendras | tiendra | tiendroms | tiendrez | tiendront | |
| conditional | tiendreis | tiendreis | tiendreit | tiendrioms | tiendriez | tiendreient | |
| subjunctive | que je (j') | que te (t') | qu'il, qu'alle, que nos |
que je (que nos) |
que vos | qu'il, qu'alles | |
| present | tienne | tiennes | tienne | tenioms | teniez | tiennent | |
| imperfect | tinsse | tinsses | tînt tinsse |
tinssioms | tinssiez | tinssent | |
| imperative | — | tu | — | je (nos) |
vos | — | |
| tiens | tenoms | tenez | |||||
| 1Used with past participles. | |||||||
Conjugation of the verb « tenir » in NormanEtymology
From Old Occitan tenir, from Early Medieval Latin tenīre, from Latin tenēre.
Pronunciation
Verb
tenir
- Alternative form of téner
Alternative forms
- tenoir (rare; < Latin tenēre)
Etymology
Inherited from Early Medieval Latin tenīre, from Classical Latin tenēre.
Verb
tenir
Conjugation
This verb conjugates as a third-group verb. This verb has a stressed present stem tien distinct from the unstressed stem ten, as well as other irregularities. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.
| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | tenir | avoir tenu | |||||
| gerund | en tenant | gerund of avoir + past participle | |||||
| present participle | tenant | ||||||
| past participle | tenu | ||||||
| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | jo | tu | il | nos | vos | il | |
| simple tenses |
present | tieng, tien | tiens | tient | tenons | tenez | tienent |
| imperfect | tenoie, teneie | tenoies, teneies | tenoit, teneit | teniiens, teniens | teniiez, teniez | tenoient, teneient | |
| preterite | tin | tenis | tint | tenimes | tenistes | tindrent, tinrent | |
| future | tendrai | tendras | tendra | tendrons | tendroiz, tendreiz, tendrez | tendront | |
| conditional | tendroie, tendreie | tendroies, tendreies | tendroit, tendreit | tendriiens, tendriens | tendriiez, tendriez | tendroient, tendreient | |
| compound tenses |
present perfect | present tense of avoir + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | imperfect tense of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| past anterior | preterite tense of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | future tense of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | conditional tense of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que jo | que tu | qu’il | que nos | que vos | qu’il | |
| simple tenses |
present | tiegne | tiegnes | tiegne | tiegniens, tiegnons | tiegniez | tiegnent |
| imperfect | tenisse | tenisses | tenist | tenissons, tenissiens | tenissoiz, tenissez, tenissiez | tenissent | |
| compound tenses |
past | present subjunctive of avoir + past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | tu | – | nos | vos | – | |
| — | tien | — | tenons | tenez | — | ||
Descendants
Alternative forms
Etymology
Inherited from Early Medieval Latin tenīre, from Classical Latin tenēre.
Verb
tenir
Descendants
References
- Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “tenēre”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volumes 13: T–Ti, page 209
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