entretenir

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Catalan

Etymology

From entre +‎ tenir.

Pronunciation

Verb

entretenir (first-person singular present entretinc, first-person singular preterite entretinguí, past participle entretingut); root stress: (Central, Valencian, Balearic) /e/

  1. to delay, hold up
    Synonym: retenir
  2. to entertain
    Synonyms: divertir, distreure
  3. (takes a reflexive pronoun) to waste time, to dawdle
  4. (takes a reflexive pronoun) to be delayed
    Synonym: retardar-se
  5. (takes a reflexive pronoun) to amuse oneself
    Synonym: distreure's

Conjugation

    Conjugation of entretenir (third conjugation, without -eix-, irregular, with velar infix)
infinitive entretenir
gerund entretenint
past participle masculine feminine
singular entretingut entretinguda
plural entretinguts entretingudes
person singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative jo tu ell/ella
vostè 		nosaltres
nós 		vosaltres
vós 		ells/elles
vostès
present entretinc entretens entreté entretenim entreteniu entretenen
imperfect entretenia entretenies entretenia entreteníem entreteníeu entretenien
future entretindré entretindràs entretindrà entretindrem entretindreu entretindran
preterite entretinguí entretingueres entretingué entretinguérem entretinguéreu entretingueren
conditional entretindria entretindries entretindria entretindríem entretindríeu entretindrien
subjunctive jo tu ell/ella
vostè 		nosaltres
nós 		vosaltres
vós 		ells/elles
vostès
present entretingui entretinguis entretingui entretinguem entretingueu entretinguin
imperfect entretingués entretinguessis entretingués entretinguéssim entretinguéssiu entretinguessin
imperative — tu vostè nosaltres vosaltres
vós 		vostès
affirmative — entretén, entretingues entretingui entretinguem entreteniu, entretingueu entretinguin
negative (no) — no entretinguis no entretingui no entretinguem no entretingueu no entretinguin

Derived terms

Further reading

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French entretenir, from Old French entretenir; equivalent to entre + tenir.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɑ̃.tʁə.t(ə).niʁ/
  • Audio(file)

Verb

entretenir

  1. (transitive) to maintain, to look after
    Le Canada entretient une relation de premier plan avec les États-Unis, pays avec lequel il partage la plus longue frontière non défendue du monde.
    Canada maintains a high-profile relationship with the United States, a country with which it shares the longest undefended border in the world.
  2. (transitive) to support (e.g a family)
  3. (transitive, figuratively) to fuel, to keep something going
  4. (reflexive) to have a discussion (with someone)
  5. (reflexive) to keep fit

Conjugation

This is a verb in a group of -ir verbs. All verbs ending in -tenir, such as contenir and détenir, are conjugated this way. Such verbs are the only verbs whose the past historic and subjunctive imperfect endings do not start in one of these thematic vowels (-a-, -i-, -u-).

Conjugation of entretenir (see also Appendix:French verbs)
infinitive simple entretenir
compound avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1 simple entretenant
/ɑ̃.tʁə.t(ə).nɑ̃/
compound ayant + past participle
past participle entretenu
/ɑ̃.tʁə.t(ə).ny/
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il, elle, on nous vous ils, elles
(simple
tenses) 		present entretiens
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃/ 		entretiens
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃/ 		entretient
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃/ 		entretenons
/ɑ̃.tʁə.t(ə).nɔ̃/ 		entretenez
/ɑ̃.tʁə.t(ə).ne/ 		entretiennent
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛn/
imperfect entretenais
/ɑ̃.tʁə.t(ə).nɛ/ 		entretenais
/ɑ̃.tʁə.t(ə).nɛ/ 		entretenait
/ɑ̃.tʁə.t(ə).nɛ/ 		entretenions
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tə.njɔ̃/ 		entreteniez
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tə.nje/ 		entretenaient
/ɑ̃.tʁə.t(ə).nɛ/
past historic2 entretins
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tɛ̃/ 		entretins
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tɛ̃/ 		entretint
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tɛ̃/ 		entretînmes
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tɛ̃m/ 		entretîntes
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tɛ̃t/ 		entretinrent
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tɛ̃ʁ/
future entretiendrai
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃.dʁe/ 		entretiendras
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃.dʁa/ 		entretiendra
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃.dʁa/ 		entretiendrons
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃.dʁɔ̃/ 		entretiendrez
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃.dʁe/ 		entretiendront
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃.dʁɔ̃/
conditional entretiendrais
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ 		entretiendrais
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ 		entretiendrait
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/ 		entretiendrions
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃.dʁi.jɔ̃/ 		entretiendriez
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃.dʁi.je/ 		entretiendraient
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃.dʁɛ/
(compound
tenses) 		present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior2 past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple
tenses) 		present entretienne
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛn/ 		entretiennes
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛn/ 		entretienne
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛn/ 		entretenions
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tə.njɔ̃/ 		entreteniez
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tə.nje/ 		entretiennent
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛn/
imperfect2 entretinsse
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tɛ̃s/ 		entretinsses
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tɛ̃s/ 		entretînt
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tɛ̃/ 		entretinssions
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tɛ̃.sjɔ̃/ 		entretinssiez
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tɛ̃.sje/ 		entretinssent
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tɛ̃s/
(compound
tenses) 		past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect2 imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — entretiens
/ɑ̃.tʁə.tjɛ̃/ 		— entretenons
/ɑ̃.tʁə.t(ə).nɔ̃/ 		entretenez
/ɑ̃.tʁə.t(ə).ne/ 		—
compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
  • past historic → present perfect
  • past anterior → pluperfect
  • imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive
  • pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive

(Christopher Kendris , Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Related terms

Further reading

Anagrams

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French entretenir.

Verb

entretenir

  1. (transitive) to maintain; to look after

Descendants

  • English: entertain
  • French: entretenir

Old French

Etymology

entre + tenir.

Verb

entretenir

  1. (reflexive, s'entretenir) to support one another

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a third-group verb. This verb has a stressed present stem entretien distinct from the unstressed stem entreten, as well as other irregularities. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

    Conjugation of s'entretenir (see also Appendix:Old French verbs)
simple compound
infinitive s'entretenir estre entretenu
gerund en entretenant gerund of estre + past participle
present participle entretenant
past participle entretenu
person singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative jo tu il nos vos il
simple
tenses 		present m'entretieng, m'entretien t'entretiens s'entretient nos entretenons vos entretenez s'entretienent
imperfect m'entretenoie, m'entreteneie t'entretenoies, t'entreteneies s'entretenoit, s'entreteneit nos entreteniiens, nos entreteniens vos entreteniiez, vos entreteniez s'entretenoient, s'entreteneient
preterite m'entretin t'entretenis s'entretint nos entretenimes vos entretenistes s'entretindrent, s'entretinrent
future m'entretendrai t'entretendras s'entretendra nos entretendrons vos entretendroiz, vos entretendreiz, vos entretendrez s'entretendront
conditional m'entretendroie, m'entretendreie t'entretendroies, t'entretendreies s'entretendroit, s'entretendreit nos entretendriiens, nos entretendriens vos entretendriiez, vos entretendriez s'entretendroient, s'entretendreient
compound
tenses 		present perfect present tense of estre + past participle
pluperfect imperfect tense of estre + past participle
past anterior preterite tense of estre + past participle
future perfect future tense of estre + past participle
conditional perfect conditional tense of estre + past participle
subjunctive que jo que tu qu’il que nos que vos qu’il
simple
tenses 		present m'entretiegne t'entretiegnes s'entretiegne nos entretiegniens, nos entretiegnons vos entretiegniez s'entretiegnent
imperfect m'entretenisse t'entretenisses s'entretenist nos entretenissons, nos entretenissiens vos entretenissoiz, vos entretenissez, vos entretenissiez s'entretenissent
compound
tenses 		past present subjunctive of estre + past participle
pluperfect imperfect subjunctive of estre + past participle
imperative – tu – nos vos –
— entretien-toi — entretenons-nos entretenez-vos —

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