retener
Lemma Details
Translation: to retain; to hold back; to keep; to withhold; to detain
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: From Latin 'retinēre', composed of 're-' (back, again) and 'tenēre' (to hold). The English cognate 'retain' comes from the same Latin root. The connection between 'retener' and 'retain' is clear both in form and meaning, as both refer to keeping or holding onto something.
Commonality: 70%
Guessability: 80%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
El banco retiene una parte de mi salario para pagar el préstamo.
The bank withholds part of my salary to pay the loan.
Es importante retener la información para el examen.
It's important to retain the information for the exam.
La policía retuvo al sospechoso durante 24 horas.
The police detained the suspect for 24 hours.
El dique retiene el agua del río.
The dam holds back the river water.
Mnemonics
- Think of 're-tener' as 're-taining' something - the English and Spanish words are very similar.
- Imagine holding something back ('re') that you already have ('tener').
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking countries, 'retener' is commonly used in legal and financial contexts, such as tax withholding ('retención de impuestos'). It's also used in educational contexts when discussing memory and information retention.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'retener' means 'to retain' or 'to hold back', 'detener' means 'to stop' or 'to arrest'. 'Retener' focuses on keeping something you already have, while 'detener' emphasizes stopping movement or progress.
Confused word:
La policía detuvo al conductor por exceso de velocidad.
The police stopped the driver for speeding.
Notes: Both verbs are irregular and follow similar conjugation patterns.
Mnemonic: 'Retener' has 're-' (again) + 'tener' (to have), suggesting keeping something you already have. 'Detener' has 'de-' (away from) + 'tener', suggesting stopping something from continuing.
Explanation: 'Retener' means to hold back or retain, while 'contener' means to contain or include. 'Retener' focuses on keeping something from leaving, while 'contener' emphasizes having something inside.
Confused word:
Esta caja contiene todos mis recuerdos de la infancia.
This box contains all my childhood memories.
Notes: Both verbs derive from Latin 'tenere' (to hold) with different prefixes that modify the meaning.
Mnemonic: Think of 'contener' as 'con' (with) + 'tener' (to have), meaning to have something with or inside something else.