Meaning
to maintain, to keep
- to conserve
- to support (someone) financially or materially
- to govern
In a sentence
Cerco di mantenere la casa pulita ogni giorno.
I try to keep the house clean every day.
Riesci a mantenere questo segreto fino a domani?
Can you keep this secret until tomorrow?
Ha mantenuto suo figlio da solo per anni.
He supported his son alone for years.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| mantenere | infinitive |
| manteniamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| mantengo | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| mantenete | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| mantieni | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| mantengono | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| mantiene | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| mantenevamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| mantenevo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| mantenevate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| mantenevi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| mantenevano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| manteneva | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| mantenemmo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| mantenni | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| manteneste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| mantenesti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| mantennero | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| mantenne | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| manterremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| manterrò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| manterrete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| manterrai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| manterranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| manterrà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| manteniamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| mantenga | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| manteniate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| mantenga | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| mantengano | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| mantenga | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| mantenessimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| mantenessi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| manteneste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| mantenessi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| mantenessero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| mantenesse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| manterremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| manterrei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| manterreste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| manterresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| manterrebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| manterrebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| manteniamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| mantenete | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| mantieni | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| mantenendo | gerund |
| mantenuto | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Use 'mantenere' for keeping a state/condition (e.g., 'mantenere la calma'), not for physical possession (use 'tenere' instead).
- Often reflexive ('mantenersi') for self-support: 'Si mantiene da solo' = 'He supports himself.'
- Takes 'avere' as auxiliary in compound tenses, even for intransitive uses (e.g., 'Ha mantenuto la promessa').
- present: mantengo, mantieni, mantiene, manteniamo, mantenete, mantengono