trattenere

to hold back

Italian Irregular

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

How to Conjugate "trattenere" in the Present Tense

Presente indicativo Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
io I trattengo
tu you (informal) trattieni
lui/lei he/she/you (formal) trattiene
noi we tratteniamo
voi you all trattenete
loro they trattengono
Lui trattiene il cane al guinzaglio.
He holds the dog on the leash.

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

Passato prossimo Actions that finished in the recent past
Person English Conjugation
io I ho trattenuto
tu you (informal) hai trattenuto
lui/lei he/she/you (formal) ha trattenuto
noi we abbiamo trattenuto
voi you all avete trattenuto
loro they hanno trattenuto
Lei ha trattenuto il cliente.
She kept the client.

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

Imperfetto Actions that were ongoing in the past
Person English Conjugation
io I trattenevo
tu you (informal) trattenevi
lui/lei he/she/you (formal) tratteneva
noi we trattenevamo
voi you all trattenevate
loro they trattenevano
Lui tratteneva sempre i suoi pensieri.
He used to always hold back his thoughts.

How to Conjugate "trattenere" in the Future Tense

Futuro semplice Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
io I tratterrò
tu you (informal) tratterrai
lui/lei he/she/you (formal) tratterrà
noi we tratterremo
voi you all tratterrete
loro they tratterranno
Lei tratterrà una parte del salario.
She will withhold part of the salary.

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

Condizionale presente Hypothetical actions
Person English Conjugation
io I tratterrei
tu you (informal) tratterresti
lui/lei he/she/you (formal) tratterrebbe
noi we tratterremmo
voi you all tratterreste
loro they tratterrebbero
Lei tratterrebbe il mio passaporto.
She would hold back my passport.

Frequently Asked Questions About "trattenere"

Is "trattenere" regular or irregular in Italian?
"Trattenere" is an irregular Italian verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "trattenere" mean in English?
The Italian verb "trattenere" means "to hold back" in English.
How do you conjugate "trattenere" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente indicativo): io → trattengo, tu → trattieni, lui/lei → trattiene, noi → tratteniamo, voi → trattenete, loro → trattengono.
How many tenses does "trattenere" have in Italian?
"Trattenere" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Italian: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).

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