Tenir – to hold, to keep

French Verb Conjugations

 PresentImperfectFutureConditionalSubjunctiveImperfect subj.
jetienstenaistiendraitiendraistiennetinsse
tutienstenaistiendrastiendraistiennestinsses
iltienttenaittiendratiendraittiennetînt
noustenonstenionstiendronstiendrionstenionstinssions
vousteneztenieztiendreztiendriezteniez tinssiez
ilstiennenttenaienttiendronttiendraienttiennenttinssent
       
 Passé composéPast perfectFuture perfectPast conditionalPast subjunctivePluperfect subj.
j’ai tenuavais tenuaurai tenuaurais tenuaie tenueusse tenu
tuas tenuavais tenuauras tenuaurais tenuaies tenueusses tenu
ila tenuavait tenuaura tenuaurait tenuait tenueût tenu
nousavons tenuavions tenuaurons tenuaurions tenuayons tenueussions tenu
vousavez tenuaviez tenuaurez tenuauriez tenuayez tenueussiez tenu
ilsont tenuavaient tenuauront tenuauraient tenuaient tenueussent tenu
       
 Passé simplePast anteriorImperativeParticiples 
jetinseus tenu (tu)tiens Presenttenant
tutinseus tenu (nous)tenons Pasttenu
iltinteut tenu (vous)tenez Perfectayant tenu
noustînmeseûmes tenu Past imperative  
voustînteseûtes tenu (tu)aie tenuPast infinitive
ilstinrenteurent tenu (nous)ayons tenu avoir tenu
    (vous)ayez tenu  

  Tenir is an irregular -ir verb.

 Listening

Tenir in action

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2 Responses

  1. Kevin 30 June 2016 / 13:53

    Thanks for the conjugations. Can you give any advice on learning what this word means? It seems to have many, many meanings, and I can’t figure out which ones are most central or most common.

    • lkl 5 July 2016 / 9:37

      Thanks for asking, I’ve just added lessons for using tenir and expressions with tenir. It is kind of a tricky one, but just imagine learning English and having to memorize all the meanings for “get”!