The Italian verb "tenere" means "to hold/keep" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "tenere" across all 5 tenses. New to Italian verbs? Start with the Italian verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "tenere" in the Present Tense
Presente indicativo Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | tengo |
| tu | you (informal) | tieni |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | tiene |
| noi | we | teniamo |
| voi | you all | tenete |
| loro | they | tengono |
Lui tiene il posto per me.
say it LOO-ee TYEH-neh
He holds the seat for me.
In other languages
- French Il me garde la place.
- German Er hält mir den Platz frei.
- Spanish Él me guarda el asiento.
- Dutch Hij houdt de stoel voor mij vrij.
Io tengo la mano di mia figlia.
say it EE-oh TEN-goh
I hold my daughter's hand.
In other languages
- French Je tiens la main de ma fille.
- German Ich halte die Hand meiner Tochter.
- Spanish Sostengo la mano de mi hija.
- Dutch Ik houd de hand van mijn dochter vast.
How to Conjugate "tenere" in the Past (completed) Tense
Passato prossimo Actions that finished in the recent past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | ho tenuto |
| tu | you (informal) | hai tenuto |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | ha tenuto |
| noi | we | abbiamo tenuto |
| voi | you all | avete tenuto |
| loro | they | hanno tenuto |
Lui ha tenuto la mano di lei.
say it LWEE ah teh-NOO-toh lah MAH-noh dee lay
He held her hand.
In other languages
- French Il lui tenait la main.
- German Er hielt ihre Hand.
- Spanish Él le sostuvo la mano.
- Dutch Hij hield haar hand vast.
Io ho tenuto la porta aperta.
say it EE-oh oh teh-NOO-toh lah POR-tah ah-PEHR-tah
I held the door open.
In other languages
- French J'ai maintenu la porte ouverte.
- German Ich hielt die Tür offen.
- Spanish Mantuve la puerta abierta.
- Dutch Ik hield de deur open.
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Try VerbPal FreeHow to Conjugate "tenere" in the Past (ongoing) Tense
Imperfetto Actions that were ongoing in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | tenevo |
| tu | you (informal) | tenevi |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | teneva |
| noi | we | tenevamo |
| voi | you all | tenevate |
| loro | they | tenevano |
Lui teneva le chiavi in tasca.
say it loo-ee teh-NEH-vah
He used to keep the keys in his pocket.
In other languages
- French Il gardait autrefois les clés dans sa poche.
- German Er bewahrte die Schlüssel früher in seiner Tasche auf.
- Spanish Él solía guardar las llaves en su bolsillo.
- Dutch Hij bewaarde de sleutels vroeger in zijn zak.
Io tenevo la mano di mia madre.
say it ee-oh teh-NEH-voh
I used to hold my mother's hand.
In other languages
- French J'avais l'habitude de tenir la main de ma mère.
- German Ich hielt früher die Hand meiner Mutter.
- Spanish Solía coger la mano de mi madre.
- Dutch Ik hield vroeger de hand van mijn moeder vast.
How to Conjugate "tenere" in the Future Tense
Futuro semplice Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | terrò |
| tu | you (informal) | terrai |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | terrà |
| noi | we | terremo |
| voi | you all | terrete |
| loro | they | terranno |
Lei terrà il segreto per sempre.
say it LEH-ee tehr-RAH eel seh-GREH-toh pehr SEM-preh
She will keep the secret forever.
In other languages
- French Elle gardera le secret pour toujours.
- German Sie wird das Geheimnis für immer bewahren.
- Spanish Ella guardará el secreto para siempre.
- Dutch Zij zal het geheim voor altijd bewaren.
Io terrò la porta aperta per te.
say it ee-OH tehr-ROH lah POR-tah ah-PEHR-tah pehr TEH
I will keep the door open for you.
In other languages
- French Je garderai la porte ouverte pour vous.
- German Ich werde die Tür für dich offen halten.
- Spanish Mantendré la puerta abierta para ti.
- Dutch Ik zal de deur voor je openhouden.
How to Conjugate "tenere" in the Would (conditional) Tense
Condizionale presente Hypothetical actions| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | terrei |
| tu | you (informal) | terresti |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | terrebbe |
| noi | we | terremmo |
| voi | you all | terreste |
| loro | they | terrebbero |
Lui terrebbe il posto libero.
say it LOO-ee teh-REH-beh
He would keep the seat free.
In other languages
- French Il garderait la place libre.
- German Er würde den Platz freihalten.
- Spanish Él mantendría el asiento libre.
- Dutch Hij zou de stoel vrijhouden.
Io terrei la porta chiusa.
say it ee-OH teh-REH-ee
I would keep the door closed.
In other languages
- French Je garderais la porte fermée.
- German Ich würde die Tür geschlossen halten.
- Spanish Mantendría la puerta cerrada.
- Dutch Ik zou de deur gesloten houden.
Frequently Asked Questions About "tenere"
Is "tenere" regular or irregular in Italian?
"Tenere" is an irregular Italian verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "tenere" mean in English?
The Italian verb "tenere" means "to hold/keep" in English.
How do you conjugate "tenere" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente indicativo): io → tengo, tu → tieni, lui/lei → tiene, noi → teniamo, voi → tenete, loro → tengono.
How many tenses does "tenere" have in Italian?
"Tenere" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Italian: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).
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