/ɑ̃.tʁə.tə.niʁ/
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to maintain, to keep up; to entertain (a conversation)
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Word origin
From Old French entretenir, from entre- ('between') and tenir ('to hold').
- Origin
- Old French
- Root
- tenir
Grammar
Conjugation
Regular french-irregular conjugation. Pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles.
Indicative
| Person | Present | Imperfect | Past historic | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | entretiens | entretenais | entretins | entretiendrai | entretiendrais |
| tu | entretiens | entretenais | entretins | entretiendras | entretiendrais |
| il/elle | entretient | entretenait | entretint | entretiendra | entretiendrait |
| nous | entretenons | entretenions | entretînmes | entretiendrons | entretiendrions |
| vous | entretenez | entreteniez | entretîntes | entretiendrez | entretiendriez |
| ils/elles | entretiennent | entretenaient | entretinrent | entretiendront | entretiendraient |
Subjunctive
| Person | Present | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| je | entretienne | entretinsse |
| tu | entretiennes | entretinsses |
| il/elle | entretienne | entretînt |
| nous | entretenions | entretinssions |
| vous | entreteniez | entretinssiez |
| ils/elles | entretiennent | entretinssent |
Imperative
| Person | Affirmative |
|---|---|
| tu | entretiens |
| nous | entretenons |
| vous | entretenez |
Non-finite
- Gerund / present participle
- entretenant
- Past participle
- entretenu · entretenue · entretenus · entretenues
Examples
.
He maintains his car with great care.
.
They keep up good relations with their neighbours.
.
She supports her three children on her own.
.
I would like to talk to you about an important matter.
.
The garden has been badly kept for years.
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French · Free printables
entretenir: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the French word "entretenir" (to maintain, to keep up; to entertain (a conversation)): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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