Retener in the Preterite Tense
Retener means “to retain, to hold back”, and this page covers exactly one thing: retener 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 retener, 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 retener in the preterite. For example: “Ayer, yo retuve la información del libro.” — Yesterday, I retained the information in the book. Everything on this page uses the forms of retener exactly as they are conjugated in the preterite, so you can trust every form you see here.
Retener in the Preterite Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | retuve |
| tú | retuviste |
| él/ella/Ud. | retuvo |
| nosotros/as | retuvimos |
| vosotros/as | retuvisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | retuvieron |
Gerund: reteniendo · Past participle: retenido
The gerund is reteniendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy reteniendo” means the action of retener is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is retenido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he retenido” 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 retener is used.
How the preterite of retener is formed
Retener 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 retuve, tú retuviste, él/ella/Ud. retuvo, nosotros/as retuvimos, vosotros/as retuvisteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. retuvieron.
When to use the preterite of retener
The preterite is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use retener 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 retuve la información del libro.” — Yesterday, I retained the information in the book.
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 retuvimos las lágrimas en la reunión.” — We retained my tears in the meeting.
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 retuvo a los alumnos después de clase ayer.” — He retained the pupils after class yesterday.
4. A sudden change or interruption
The preterite describes sudden changes and interruptions: something happened, and the situation was different afterwards. Example: “Ellos retuvieron el dinero del depósito de repente.” — They retained the deposit money 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 retuviste la información del libro la semana pasada.” — You retained the information in the book 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 retuve la información del libro.” — Yesterday, I retained the information in the book.
Imperfect: “Yo retenía la información del libro cada día.” — I used to retain the information in the book 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 retuvo las lágrimas en la reunión.” — Last night, he retained my tears in the meeting.
Imperfect: “Él retenía las lágrimas en la reunión todos los días.” — He used to retain my tears in the meeting 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 retuvimos a los alumnos después de clase ayer.” — We retained the pupils after class yesterday.
Imperfect: “Nosotros reteníamos a los alumnos después de clase cuando éramos jóvenes.” — We used to retain the pupils after class 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: retener 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.
“Retuve la información del libro.” — I retained the information in the book.
“Retuviste las lágrimas en la reunión.” — You retained my tears in the meeting.
“Retuvo a los alumnos después de clase.” — He/she retained the pupils after class.
“Retuvimos el dinero del depósito.” — We retained the deposit money.
“Retuvisteis la información del libro.” — You retained the information in the book.
“Retuvieron las lágrimas en la reunión.” — They retained my tears in the meeting.
“Retuve a los alumnos después de clase.” — I retained the pupils after class.
“Retuvo el dinero del depósito.” — He/she retained the deposit money.
Common mistakes with retener 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 retuvo la información del libro.” Right: “Ellos retuvieron la información del libro.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form retuvieron. The singular retuvo belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Wrong: “Ayer yo retení las lágrimas en la reunión.” Right: “Ayer yo retuve las lágrimas en la reunión.” Why: Retener has an irregular preterite: the correct first-person form is retuve, not the regular retení.
Wrong: “Nosotros retuviste a los alumnos después de clase.” Right: “Nosotros retuvimos a los alumnos después de clase.” Why: Nosotros needs retuvimos. The tú form retuviste belongs with tú.
Wrong: “Ellos retuve el dinero del depósito.” Right: “Ellos retuvieron el dinero del depósito.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form retuvieron, not the yo form retuve.
Quiz: retener 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 información del libro.” (The information in the book.)
- (a) retuve
- (b) retuviste
- (c) retuvo
Answer: retuve — The yo form of retener in the preterite is retuve. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ las lágrimas en la reunión?” (My tears in the meeting.)
- (a) retuve
- (b) retuvo
- (c) retuviste
Answer: retuviste — The tú form of retener in the preterite is retuviste. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ a los alumnos después de clase.” (The pupils after class.)
- (a) retuviste
- (b) retuvo
- (c) retuve
Answer: retuvo — The él/ella/Ud. form of retener in the preterite is retuvo. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ el dinero del depósito.” (The deposit money.)
- (a) retuvimos
- (b) retuve
- (c) retuviste
Answer: retuvimos — The nosotros/as form of retener in the preterite is retuvimos. 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 retener in the preterite?
- (a) retuve
- (b) retuviste
- (c) retuvisteis
Answer: retuvisteis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes retuvisteis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros retuvisteis la información del libro.” to fix it in your memory.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ las lágrimas en la reunión.” (My tears in the meeting.)
- (a) retuviste
- (b) retuvieron
- (c) retuve
Answer: retuvieron — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of retener in the preterite is retuvieron. 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 retener in the preterite?
- (a) retuve
- (b) retuviste
- (c) retuvo
Answer: retuve — The yo form is retuve. The other two options are the forms for other persons.
8. Which sentence describes one finished action in the past?
- (a) Yo retenía la información del libro cada día.
- (b) Mañana, yo retendré la información del libro.
- (c) Ayer, yo retuve la información del libro.
Answer: Ayer, yo retuve la información del libro. — “Ayer, yo retuve la información del libro.” 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 retener regular in the preterite?
No. Retener has an irregular preterite: retuve, retuviste, retuvo, retuvimos, retuvisteis, retuvieron. Learn these forms as a set rather than deriving them from the infinitive.
What is the past participle of retener?
The past participle is retenido: 'He retenido' means 'I have retained'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is reteniendo.
When do I use the preterite instead of the imperfect for retener?
Use the preterite for one finished action, as in Ayer, yo retuve la información del libro. Use the imperfect for a repeated habit or background, as in Yo retenía la información del libro cada día. The time words around the verb usually tell you which one fits.
How do I remember the preterite forms of retener?
Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo retuve, tú retuviste, él/ella/Ud. retuvo, nosotros/as retuvimos, vosotros/as retuvisteis, ellos/ellas/Uds. retuvieron. Then write three of your own sentences with retener in the preterite, using the examples on this page as models.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of retener — every tense of retener in one place.
- Retener examples and quiz — more sentences with retener 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 retener and other verbs.