Mantener in the Preterite Tense
Mantener means “to maintain, to keep”, and this page covers exactly one thing: mantener in the preterite tense. The preterite is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what is finished and done. On this page you will find the full preterite table for mantener, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the imperfect, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about mantener in the preterite. For example: “Ayer, yo mantuve la calma en la reunión.” — Yesterday, I maintained calm in the meeting. Everything on this page uses the forms of mantener exactly as they are conjugated in the preterite, so you can trust every form you see here.
Mantener in the Preterite Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | mantuve |
| tú | mantuviste |
| él/ella/Ud. | mantuvo |
| nosotros/as | mantuvimos |
| vosotros/as | mantuvisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | mantuvieron |
Gerund: manteniendo · Past participle: mantenido
The gerund is manteniendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy manteniendo” means the action of mantener is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is mantenido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he mantenido” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the preterite is only one part of how mantener is used.
How the preterite of mantener is formed
Mantener does not use one regular stem in this tense, so the forms below do not follow the simple stem + endings pattern. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of tener, with changes in the present, the preterite (the -uv- stem), the future and conditional, and the subjunctive. Learn the forms in the table rather than applying the regular endings. Learn the six forms as a set: yo mantuve, tú mantuviste, él/ella/Ud. mantuvo, nosotros/as mantuvimos, vosotros/as mantuvisteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. mantuvieron.
When to use the preterite of mantener
The preterite is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use mantener in the preterite most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. One finished action
The preterite reports a single action that started and finished in the past. The action is done, counted once, and the story moves on. Example: “Ayer, yo mantuve la calma en la reunión.” — Yesterday, I maintained calm in the meeting.
2. A sequence of events
In a story, each preterite form is one step forward in time. When several things happened one after another, the preterite lists them in order. Example: “Nosotros mantuvimos la casa en buen estado.” — We maintained the house in good condition.
3. A specific time marker
Time words such as ayer, anoche, el año pasado and la semana pasada point to the preterite. They name a finished moment, and the verb must match. Example: “Él mantuvo el contacto con sus amigos ayer.” — He maintained in touch with his friends yesterday.
4. A sudden change or interruption
The preterite describes sudden changes and interruptions: something happened, and the situation was different afterwards. Example: “Ellos mantuvieron la promesa hecha de repente.” — They maintained the promise he made suddenly.
5. A completed time frame
When an action took place inside a period of time that is now over, the preterite is the right tense, because the period itself is finished. Example: “Tú mantuviste la calma en la reunión la semana pasada.” — You maintained calm in the meeting last week.
Preterite Tense vs Imperfect: how to choose
The closest tense to the preterite is the imperfect, and choosing between them is one of the hardest decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the preterite reports one finished action, while the imperfect describes background, habits in the past, or an action that was in progress when something else happened. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is finished and counted, or ongoing and descriptive. Time words help: ayer and de repente point to the preterite, while mientras and todos los días in the past point to the imperfect.
Preterite Tense: “Ayer, yo mantuve la calma en la reunión.” — Yesterday, I maintained calm in the meeting.
Imperfect: “Yo mantenía la calma en la reunión cada día.” — I used to maintain calm in the meeting every day.
The preterite sentence reports one finished action; the imperfect sentence describes a habit in the past. Ayer points to the preterite, cada día in the past points to the imperfect.
Preterite Tense: “Anoche, él mantuvo la casa en buen estado.” — Last night, he maintained the house in good condition.
Imperfect: “Él mantenía la casa en buen estado todos los días.” — He used to maintain the house in good condition every day.
Anoche names one finished night, so the preterite is right; todos los días in the past describes a routine, so the imperfect is right.
Preterite Tense: “Nosotros mantuvimos el contacto con sus amigos ayer.” — We maintained in touch with his friends yesterday.
Imperfect: “Nosotros manteníamos el contacto con sus amigos cuando éramos jóvenes.” — We used to maintain in touch with his friends when we were young.
The preterite sentence counts one finished action; the imperfect sentence describes how things used to be. That difference — finished event versus background — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: mantener in the preterite
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“Mantuve la calma en la reunión.” — I maintained calm in the meeting.
“Mantuviste la casa en buen estado.” — You maintained the house in good condition.
“Mantuvo el contacto con sus amigos.” — He/she maintained in touch with his friends.
“Mantuvimos la promesa hecha.” — We maintained the promise he made.
“Mantuvisteis la calma en la reunión.” — You maintained calm in the meeting.
“Mantuvieron la casa en buen estado.” — They maintained the house in good condition.
“Mantuve el contacto con sus amigos.” — I maintained in touch with his friends.
“Mantuvo la promesa hecha.” — He/she maintained the promise he made.
Common mistakes with mantener in the preterite
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Ellos mantuvo la calma en la reunión.” Right: “Ellos mantuvieron la calma en la reunión.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form mantuvieron. The singular mantuvo belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Wrong: “Ayer yo mantení la casa en buen estado.” Right: “Ayer yo mantuve la casa en buen estado.” Why: Mantener has an irregular preterite: the correct first-person form is mantuve, not the regular mantení.
Wrong: “Nosotros mantuviste el contacto con sus amigos.” Right: “Nosotros mantuvimos el contacto con sus amigos.” Why: Nosotros needs mantuvimos. The tú form mantuviste belongs with tú.
Wrong: “Ellos mantuve la promesa hecha.” Right: “Ellos mantuvieron la promesa hecha.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form mantuvieron, not the yo form mantuve.
Quiz: mantener in the preterite
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ la calma en la reunión.” (Calm in the meeting.)
- (a) mantuve
- (b) mantuviste
- (c) mantuvo
Answer: mantuve — The yo form of mantener in the preterite is mantuve. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ la casa en buen estado?” (The house in good condition.)
- (a) mantuve
- (b) mantuvo
- (c) mantuviste
Answer: mantuviste — The tú form of mantener in the preterite is mantuviste. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ el contacto con sus amigos.” (In touch with his friends.)
- (a) mantuviste
- (b) mantuvo
- (c) mantuve
Answer: mantuvo — The él/ella/Ud. form of mantener in the preterite is mantuvo. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ la promesa hecha.” (The promise he made.)
- (a) mantuvimos
- (b) mantuve
- (c) mantuviste
Answer: mantuvimos — The nosotros/as form of mantener in the preterite is mantuvimos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
5. What is the vosotros/as form of mantener in the preterite?
- (a) mantuve
- (b) mantuviste
- (c) mantuvisteis
Answer: mantuvisteis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes mantuvisteis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros mantuvisteis la calma en la reunión.” to fix it in your memory.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ la casa en buen estado.” (The house in good condition.)
- (a) mantuviste
- (b) mantuvieron
- (c) mantuve
Answer: mantuvieron — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of mantener in the preterite is mantuvieron. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
7. Which is the correct yo form of mantener in the preterite?
- (a) mantuve
- (b) mantuviste
- (c) mantuvo
Answer: mantuve — The yo form is mantuve. The other two options are the forms for other persons.
8. Which sentence describes one finished action in the past?
- (a) Yo mantenía la calma en la reunión cada día.
- (b) Mañana, yo mantendré la calma en la reunión.
- (c) Ayer, yo mantuve la calma en la reunión.
Answer: Ayer, yo mantuve la calma en la reunión. — “Ayer, yo mantuve la calma en la reunión.” reports a single completed event, so it takes the preterite. The second option describes background or a past habit, and the third looks to the future.
Frequently asked questions
Is mantener regular in the preterite?
No. Mantener has an irregular preterite: mantuve, mantuviste, mantuvo, mantuvimos, mantuvisteis, mantuvieron. Learn these forms as a set rather than deriving them from the infinitive.
What is the past participle of mantener?
The past participle is mantenido: 'He mantenido' means 'I have maintained'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is manteniendo.
When do I use the preterite instead of the imperfect for mantener?
Use the preterite for one finished action, as in Ayer, yo mantuve la calma en la reunión. Use the imperfect for a repeated habit or background, as in Yo mantenía la calma en la reunión cada día. The time words around the verb usually tell you which one fits.
How do I remember the preterite forms of mantener?
Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo mantuve, tú mantuviste, él/ella/Ud. mantuvo, nosotros/as mantuvimos, vosotros/as mantuvisteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. mantuvieron. Then write three of your own sentences with mantener in the preterite, using the examples on this page as models.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of mantener — every tense of mantener in one place.
- Mantener examples and quiz — more sentences with mantener and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish preterite guide — how the preterite works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Preterite conjugator — conjugate any verb in the preterite instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on mantener and other verbs.