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ITALIAN VERB

mantenere

to keep, to support

  • #429 most used
  • Irregular -ere verb
  • Past participle: mantenuto
  • Gerund: mantenendo

Conjugation

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

Present

Presente · now, habits and facts

  1. io I keep
  2. tu you keep
  3. lui, lei, Lei he/she keeps
  4. noi we keep
  5. voi you all keep
  6. loro they keep

Past

Passato prossimo · finished actions: “ho parlato”

  1. io I kept
  2. tu you kept
  3. lui, lei, Lei he/she kept
  4. noi we kept
  5. voi you all kept
  6. loro they kept

Imperfect

Imperfetto · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. io I used to keep
  2. tu you used to keep
  3. lui, lei, Lei he/she used to keep
  4. noi we used to keep
  5. voi you all used to keep
  6. loro they used to keep

Future

Futuro semplice · plans and guesses

  1. io I will keep
  2. tu you will keep
  3. lui, lei, Lei he/she will keep
  4. noi we will keep
  5. voi you all will keep
  6. loro they will keep

Conditional

Condizionale · “would”, polite requests

  1. io I would keep
  2. tu you would keep
  3. lui, lei, Lei he/she would keep
  4. noi we would keep
  5. voi you all would keep
  6. loro they would keep

Present subjunctive

Congiuntivo presente · wishes, doubts, “che …”

  1. io (that) I keep
  2. tu (that) you keep
  3. lui, lei, Lei (that) he/she keep
  4. noi (that) we keep
  5. voi (that) you all keep
  6. loro (that) they keep

Imperative

Imperativo · requests and orders: tu, Lei, noi, voi

  1. tu keep!
  2. Lei keep! (formal)
  3. noi keep! (let’s)
  4. voi keep! (all of you)

How to use mantenere

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

  1. Present

    Mantengo due figli all'università con un solo stipendio.

    I support two children at university on a single salary.

  2. Past

    Ha mantenuto la promessa ed è venuto davvero.

    He kept his promise and really came.

  3. Imperfect

    Il nonno manteneva tutta la famiglia con l'orto.

    Grandpa supported the whole family with the vegetable garden.

  4. Future

    Manterrò il segreto, te lo giuro.

    I'll keep the secret, I swear.

  5. Conditional

    Manterrei la calma, ma lui mi provoca.

    I'd keep calm, but he provokes me.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Spero che mantengano i prezzi dell'anno scorso.

    I hope they keep last year's prices.

  7. Imperative

    Mantieni la destra, qui la strada è stretta.

    Keep right, the road is narrow here.

Good to know

  • Mantenere follows tenere: mantengo, manterrò. Mantenere una promessa is to keep a promise; mantenere una famiglia, to support one.

Verbs like this one

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