tenir

to hold

French Irregular

The French verb "tenir" means "to hold" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "tenir" across all 5 tenses.

How to Conjugate "tenir" in the Present Tense

Présent de l'indicatif Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
je I tiens
tu you (informal) tiens
il/elle/on he/she/one tient
nous we tenons
vous you (formal/plural) tenez
ils/elles they tiennent
Elle tient un parapluie rouge.
She is holding a red umbrella.

How to Conjugate "tenir" in the Past (completed) Tense

Passé composé Actions completed in the past
Person English Conjugation
je I ai tenu
tu you (informal) as tenu
il/elle/on he/she/one a tenu
nous we avons tenu
vous you (formal/plural) avez tenu
ils/elles they ont tenu
Elle a tenu le bébé.
She held the baby.

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How to Conjugate "tenir" in the Past (ongoing) Tense

Imparfait Actions that were ongoing in the past
Person English Conjugation
je I tenais
tu you (informal) tenais
il/elle/on he/she/one tenait
nous we tenions
vous you (formal/plural) teniez
ils/elles they tenaient
Elle tenait un journal intime.
She kept a diary.

How to Conjugate "tenir" in the Future Tense

Futur simple Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
je I tiendrai
tu you (informal) tiendras
il/elle/on he/she/one tiendra
nous we tiendrons
vous you (formal/plural) tiendrez
ils/elles they tiendront
Elle tiendra le parapluie pour nous.
She will hold the umbrella for us.

How to Conjugate "tenir" in the Would (conditional) Tense

Conditionnel présent Hypothetical actions
Person English Conjugation
je I tiendrais
tu you (informal) tiendrais
il/elle/on he/she/one tiendrait
nous we tiendrions
vous you (formal/plural) tiendriez
ils/elles they tiendraient
Elle tiendrait la porte.
She would hold the door.

Frequently Asked Questions About "tenir"

Is "tenir" regular or irregular in French?
"Tenir" is an irregular French verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "tenir" mean in English?
The French verb "tenir" means "to hold" in English.
How do you conjugate "tenir" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Présent de l'indicatif): je → tiens, tu → tiens, il/elle/on → tient, nous → tenons, vous → tenez, ils/elles → tiennent.
How many tenses does "tenir" have in French?
"Tenir" is conjugated across 5 tenses in French: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).

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