Meaning
to support, to claim
- to support, to hold up
- to endure, to bear
- to back, to support (a cause)
- to claim, to assert
In a sentence
Questo tavolo sostiene ancora il vecchio computer.
This table still supports the old computer.
Non posso sostenere tutto questo peso da solo.
I can't carry all this weight by myself.
Lei sostiene che domani farà meno caldo.
She claims that tomorrow it will be less hot.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| sostenere | infinitive |
| sosteniamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| sostengo | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| sostenete | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sostieni | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sostengono | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sostiene | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sostenevamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| sostenevo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| sostenevate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| sostenevi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| sostenevano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| sosteneva | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| sostenemmo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| sostenni | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| sosteneste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| sostenesti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| sostennero | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| sostenne | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| sosterremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| sosterrò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| sosterrete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| sosterrai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| sosterranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| sosterrà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| sosteniamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| sostenga | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| sosteniate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sostenga | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sostengano | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sostenga | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sostenessimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| sostenessi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| sosteneste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| sostenessi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| sostenessero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| sostenesse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| sosterremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| sosterrei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| sosterreste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sosterresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sosterrebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sosterrebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sosteniamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| sostenete | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| sostieni | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| sostenendo | gerund |
| sostenuto | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Use 'sostenere' for physical support (e.g., a beam) or moral backing; 'supportare' is more for financial/technical aid.
- Common mistake: Overusing it for 'to like'—use 'piacere' instead (e.g., 'Mi piace il calcio').
- Takes 'avere' as auxiliary in compound tenses (e.g., 'Ho sostenuto un esame').
- present: sostengo, sostieni, sostiene, sosteniamo, sostenete, sostengono