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FRENCH VERB

retenir

to remember, to hold back

  • #431 most used
  • Irregular -ir verb
  • Past participle: retenu
  • Present participle: retenant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I remember
  2. tu you remember
  3. il, elle, on he/she remembers
  4. nous we remember
  5. vous you remember
  6. ils, elles they remember

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I remembered
  2. tu you remembered
  3. il, elle, on he/she remembered
  4. nous we remembered
  5. vous you remembered
  6. ils, elles they remembered

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to remember
  2. tu you used to remember
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to remember
  4. nous we used to remember
  5. vous you used to remember
  6. ils, elles they used to remember

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will remember
  2. tu you will remember
  3. il, elle, on he/she will remember
  4. nous we will remember
  5. vous you will remember
  6. ils, elles they will remember

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would remember
  2. tu you would remember
  3. il, elle, on he/she would remember
  4. nous we would remember
  5. vous you would remember
  6. ils, elles they would remember

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I remember
  2. tu (that) you remember
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she remember
  4. nous (that) we remember
  5. vous (that) you remember
  6. ils, elles (that) they remember

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu remember!
  2. nous remember! (let’s)
  3. vous remember! (plural, or formal)

How to use retenir

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Je ne retiens jamais les numéros de téléphone.

    I never remember phone numbers.

  2. Past

    J'ai retenu une table pour quatre à vingt heures.

    I've booked a table for four at eight.

  3. Imperfect

    Il retenait tout, les dates comme les visages.

    He remembered everything, dates and faces alike.

  4. Future

    Je ne vous retiendrai pas longtemps, deux questions.

    I won't keep you long, two questions.

  5. Conditional

    Tu retiendrais mieux les mots en les écrivant.

    You'd remember the words better by writing them down.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que tu retiennes au moins l'adresse de l'hôtel.

    You have to remember at least the hotel's address.

  7. Imperative

    Retenez bien ce code, il ouvre les deux portes.

    Remember this code, it opens both doors.

Good to know

  • Retenir un nom is to remember it; retenir une table, to book it.
  • Retenir quelqu'un is to keep them from leaving : je ne vous retiens pas.
  • Se retenir is to hold back a laugh, or to need the toilet.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -ir verb.