Conjugations › Italian › tenere

tenere

to hold/keep

Italian Irregular
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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.

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Present Past (completed) Past (ongoing) Future Would (conditional)

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.
He holds the seat for me.

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.
He held her hand.

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How 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.
He used to keep the keys in his pocket.

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.
She will keep the secret forever.

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.
He would keep the seat free.
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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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