/mɛ̃t.niʁ/
Translation
to maintain, to keep, to hold
Word origin
From the Latin phrase manu tenere ('to hold in the hand'), from manus ('hand') and tenere ('to hold'). English 'maintain' was borrowed straight from the French.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- manu tenere
- English cognates
- maintain, manual
Grammar
Conjugation
Regular french-irregular conjugation. Pronouns: je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles.
Indicative
| Person | Present | Imperfect | Past historic | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | maintiens | maintenais | maintins | maintiendrai | maintiendrais |
| tu | maintiens | maintenais | maintins | maintiendras | maintiendrais |
| il/elle | maintient | maintenait | maintint | maintiendra | maintiendrait |
| nous | maintenons | maintenions | maintînmes | maintiendrons | maintiendrions |
| vous | maintenez | mainteniez | maintîntes | maintiendrez | maintiendriez |
| ils/elles | maintiennent | maintenaient | maintinrent | maintiendront | maintiendraient |
Subjunctive
| Person | Present | Imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| je | maintienne | maintinsse |
| tu | maintiennes | maintinsses |
| il/elle | maintienne | maintînt |
| nous | maintenions | maintinssions |
| vous | mainteniez | maintinssiez |
| ils/elles | maintiennent | maintinssent |
Imperative
| Person | Affirmative |
|---|---|
| tu | maintiens |
| nous | maintenons |
| vous | maintenez |
Non-finite
- Gerund / present participle
- maintenant
- Past participle
- maintenu · maintenue · maintenus · maintenues
Examples
maintenait ' .
He kept insisting that it was not his fault.
.
We must keep the door shut.
Maintenez .
Keep the pressure on for five minutes.
maintenaient .
Prices were holding at a good level.
maintenons ' .
We are holding our prices until the end of the month.
Where this fits
Used in
Grammar articles
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maintenir: worksheet, infographic and listicle
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 41.