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Definition 2024

tenir

tenir

See also: teñir

Catalan

Alternative forms

Verb

tenir ‎(first-person singular present tinc, past participle tingut)

  1. to have, possess
  2. to hold

Conjugation

Irregular, though similar to prendre. Present (except 1st singular) and imperfect formed with stem ten-, remainder with stem tin-.

Derived terms

Related terms

References

Franco-Provençal

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin tenīre from classical Latin tenēre, present active infinitive of teneō.

Verb

tenir

  1. to hold

Conjugation

French

Etymology

From Old French tenir, from Vulgar Latin *tenīre, from Latin tenēre, present active infinitive of teneō ‎(“hold, keep”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /təniʁ/

Verb

tenir

  1. (transitive) to have; to hold
  2. (transitive) to keep
  3. (intransitive) to stay; to hold
  4. (reflexive, uncommon) to hold on
    Elle descend en se tenant aux racines.‎ ― She comes down using the roots for handles (or holding on to the roots).
  5. (reflexive) to hold oneself, to be standing
    Il se tenait dans le coin.‎ ― He stood in the corner.
  6. (reflexive) to behave
    Tiens-toi bien.‎ ― Behave yourself.
  7. (reflexive) to maintain, remain in a certain position or disposition
    Tiens-toi droit!‎ ― Keep yourself straight!
    Elle se tient immobile sur la corde raide.‎ ― She stays still on the tightrope.
  8. (followed by the preposition à) to be attached to something, to be fond of something, to hold something dear
  9. (reflexive, Quebec, slang) to hang out
    • 1975, Beau Dommage, "Le Vent d'la ville", Passagers, Capitol Record (ST-70.055 [V], 4XL56355 [K7], CDL-56355 [CD]):
      "J'me tenais dans l'ouest de la ville, ça me fait plus peur l'exil"‎
      I used to hang out in the west end; exile doesn't scare me anymore.

Conjugation

This is a verb in a group of -ir verbs. All verbs ending in -tenir, such as contenir and détenir, are conjugated this way.

  Conjugation of tenir (see also Appendix:French verbs)
simple compound
infinitive tenir avoir tenu
gerund en tenant en ayant tenu
present participle tenant
/tə.nɑ̃/
past participle tenu
/tə.ny/
person singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il nous vous ils
simple
tenses		 present tiens
/tjɛ̃/ 		tiens
/tjɛ̃/ 		tient
/tjɛ̃/ 		tenons
/tə.nɔ̃/ 		tenez
/tə.ne/ 		tiennent
/tjɛn/
imperfect tenais
/tə.nɛ/ 		tenais
/tə.nɛ/ 		tenait
/tə.nɛ/ 		tenions
/tə.njɔ̃/ 		teniez
/tə.nje/ 		tenaient
/tə.nɛ/
past historic1 tins
/tɛ̃/ 		tins
/tɛ̃/ 		tint
/tɛ̃/ 		tînmes
/tɛ̃m/ 		tîntes
/tɛ̃t/ 		tinrent
/tɛ̃ʁ/
future tiendrai
/tjɛ̃.dʁe/ 		tiendras
/tjɛ̃.dʁa/ 		tiendra
/tjɛ̃.dʁa/ 		tiendrons
/tjɛ̃.dʁɔ̃/ 		tiendrez
/tjɛ̃.dʁe/ 		tiendront
/tjɛ̃.dʁɔ̃/
conditional tiendrais
/tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ 		tiendrais
/tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ 		tiendrait
/tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ 		tiendrions
/tjɛ̃.dʁi.jɔ̃/ 		tiendriez
/tjɛ̃.dʁi.je/ 		tiendraient
/tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/
compound
tenses		 present perfect Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle
pluperfect Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle
past anterior1 Use the past historic tense of avoir followed by the past participle
future perfect Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle
conditional perfect Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il que nous que vous qu’ils
simple
tenses		 present tienne
/tjɛn/ 		tiennes
/tjɛn/ 		tienne
/tjɛn/ 		tenions
/tə.njɔ̃/ 		teniez
/tə.nje/ 		tiennent
/tjɛn/
imperfect1 tinsse
/tɛ̃s/ 		tinsses
/tɛ̃s/ 		tînt
/tɛ̃/ 		tinssions
/tɛ̃.sjɔ̃/ 		tinssiez
/tɛ̃.sje/ 		tinssent
/tɛ̃s/
compound
tenses		 past Use the present subjunctive tense of avoir followed by the past participle
pluperfect1 Use the imperfect subjunctive tense of avoir followed by the past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
— tiens
/tjɛ̃/ 		— tenons
/tə.nɔ̃/ 		tenez
/tə.ne/ 		—
1literary tenses

Related terms

Anagrams

Ido

Verb

tenir

  1. past infinitive of tenar

Middle French

Etymology

Old French tenir.

Noun

tenir

  1. to hold

Descendants

References

  • (fr) Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881) (tenir, supplement)

Old French

Alternative forms

  • tenoir (rare)

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *tenīre, from Latin tenēre, present active infinitive of teneō ‎(“hold, keep”).

Verb

tenir

  1. to possess; to have
  2. to hold

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a third-group verb. This verb has a stressed present stem tien distinct from the unstressed stem ten, as well as other irregularities. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

    Conjugation of tenir (see also Appendix:Old French verbs)
simple compound
infinitive tenir avoir tenu
gerund en tenant Use the gerund of avoir followed by the past participle
present participle tenant
past participle tenu
person singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative jo tu il nos vos il
simple
tenses		 present tieng, tien tiens tient tenons tenez tienent
imperfect tenoie, teneie tenoies, teneies tenoit, teneit teniiens, teniens teniiez, teniez tenoient, teneient
preterite tin tenis tint tenimes tenistes tindrent, tinrent
future tendrai tendras tendra tendrons tendroiz, tendreiz, tendrez tendront
conditional tendroie, tendreie tendroies, tendreies tendroit, tendreit tendriiens, tendriens tendriiez, tendriez tendroient, tendreient
compound
tenses		 present perfect Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle
pluperfect Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle
past anterior Use the preterite tense of avoir followed by the past participle
future perfect Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle
conditional perfect Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle
subjunctive que jo que tu qu’il que nos que vos qu’il
simple
tenses		 present tiegne tiegnes tiegne tiegniens, tiegnons tiegniez tiegnent
imperfect tenisse tenisses tenist tenissons, tenissiens tenissoiz, tenissez, tenissiez tenissent
compound
tenses		 past Use the present subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
pluperfect Use the imperfect subjunctive of avoir followed by the past participle
imperative – tu – nos vos –
— tien — tenons tenez —

Descendants

Old Provençal

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *tenīre, from Latin tenēre, present active infinitive of teneō ‎(“hold, keep”).

Verb

tenir

  1. to possess; to have
  2. to hold

Descendants

References

Etymology

From Old Provençal tenir, from Vulgar Latin tenīre, from Latin tenēre, present active infinitive of teneō.

Pronunciation

  • (standard) IPA(key): /təˈni/

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