Present
Presente · now, habits and facts
- io I hold on
- tu you hold on
- lui, lei, Lei he/she holds on
- noi we hold on
- voi you all hold on
- loro they hold on
ITALIAN VERB
tenersi
to hold on
- Irregular -ere verb
- Past participle: tenuto
- Gerund: tenendosi
Conjugation
Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.
Past
Passato prossimo · finished actions: “ho parlato”
- io I held on
- tu you held on
- lui, lei, Lei he/she held on
- noi we held on
- voi you all held on
- loro they held on
Imperfect
Imperfetto · “used to” and “was …ing”
- io I used to hold on
- tu you used to hold on
- lui, lei, Lei he/she used to hold on
- noi we used to hold on
- voi you all used to hold on
- loro they used to hold on
Future
Futuro semplice · plans and guesses
- io I will hold on
- tu you will hold on
- lui, lei, Lei he/she will hold on
- noi we will hold on
- voi you all will hold on
- loro they will hold on
Conditional
Condizionale · “would”, polite requests
- io I would hold on
- tu you would hold on
- lui, lei, Lei he/she would hold on
- noi we would hold on
- voi you all would hold on
- loro they would hold on
Present subjunctive
Congiuntivo presente · wishes, doubts, “che …”
- io (that) I hold on
- tu (that) you hold on
- lui, lei, Lei (that) he/she hold on
- noi (that) we hold on
- voi (that) you all hold on
- loro (that) they hold on
Imperative
Imperativo · requests and orders: tu, Lei, noi, voi
- tu hold on!
- Lei hold on! (formal)
- noi hold on! (let’s)
- voi hold on! (all of you)
How to use tenersi
One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.
-
Present
Mi tengo al corrimano, la scala è ripida.
I'm holding on to the handrail, the stairs are steep.
-
Past
Ci siamo tenuti forte durante la curva.
We held on tight on the bend.
-
Imperfect
Il bambino si teneva alla mano della mamma.
The child was holding on to his mother's hand.
-
Future
Ci terremo in contatto, promesso.
We'll keep in touch, promise.
-
Conditional
Mi terrei volentieri in forma, ma non ho tempo.
I'd happily keep fit, but I have no time.
-
Present subjunctive
Voglio che ti tenga forte sulla moto.
I want you to hold on tight on the bike.
-
Imperative
Tieniti forte a me, adesso parto!
Hold on tight to me, I'm off!
Good to know
- Tieniti forte! is hold on tight. Tenersi in forma is to keep fit; tenersi in contatto, to keep in touch.
Where you hear tenersi
The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.
Italian · Beginner Level 1
- In Vespa, Laura si tiene sempre a me. On the Vespa, Laura always holds on to me.
- Mi sono tenuta forte a Giulia per un'ora. I held on tight to Giulia for an hour.
- Domani, in Vespa, ti tieni forte a me! Tomorrow, on the Vespa, you'll hold on tight to me!
Italian · Beginner Level 2
- In Vespa, Laura si tiene sempre a me. On the Vespa, Laura always holds on to me.
- Mi sono tenuta forte a Giulia per un'ora. I held on tight to Giulia for an hour.
- Domani, in Vespa, ti tieni forte a me! Tomorrow, on the Vespa, you'll hold on tight to me!
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My Cousin
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3
Beginner Level 1 · Tieniti!
Breakfast at Gino's
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4
Beginner Level 2 · Ecco tre euro. Tieni il resto.
Keep or Throw Away
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22
Beginner Level 2 · Le tengo! · La tengo. · No! Lo tengo io.
The Storm
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28
Beginner Level 2 · Tieni, ecco due candele.
Last Day at the Trattoria
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10
Beginner Level 2 · Anch'io! Tieni, un regalo.
Rosa and the House
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21
Intermediate Level 3 · Io la terrei. La sistemerei piano piano.
Laura's Proposal
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Intermediate Level 3 · Zia, ho una proposta. E se la tenessimo? · Se la tenessimo... Nonna sarebbe felice.
What She Kept
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19
Intermediate Level 3 · E cosa hai tenuto, dell'Italia? · L'ho tenuto sempre con me. È qui.
The Old Words
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20
Fluency Level 2 · Il pagliaio, dove si teneva la paglia.
Meeting Vincenzo
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Fluency Level 3 · Come tuo fratello, sì. Tienilo, dai.
Verbs like this one
The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -ere verb.