tenere

From Latin tenēre, from Proto-Italic *tenēō, stative from Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to stretch, draw”).

• IPA^(key): /teˈne.re/
• Rhymes: -ere
• Hyphenation: te‧né‧re

tenére (first-person singular present tèngo, first-person singular past historic ténni or tènni, past participle tenùto, first-person singular future terrò, auxiliary avére)

1. (transitive) to hold

   tieniti il libro in mano ― hold the book in your hands

   tenetelo a meno che lui scappasse dall’istituto

   hold him so that he doesn't escape the institute

   1. to set aside; to conserve
   2. to hold (one's spot in line, etc.)
   3. to reserve
2. (transitive) to keep

   mi sono tenuto la borsa sul grembo ― I kept the bag on my lap

   tenere gli occhi aperti ― to keep one's eyes open

   tenere i soldi sotto il materasso ― to keep the money under the mattress

   tenerlo recluso ― to keep him confined

   tenere la parola ― to keep one's word

3. (transitive, intransitive) to hold up; to sustain

   quel pilastro tiene l'intero edificio

   that pillar holds up the entire building

   il scaffale tiene al peso dei libri

   the shelf holds up against the weight of the books

   il paese tiene nonostante il virus

   the country is holding up despite the virus

4. (transitive) continue to wear; to not remove (a garment); to keep on (a garment)

   ora ancora piove, quindi tieni la giacca

   it's still raining, so keep the jacket on

5. (transitive) to take

   tieni la penna ― take the pen

   tieni la sinistra ― take the left

6. (transitive, sometimes southern Italy) to have; to possess

   tenere un animale domestico ― to have a pet

   puoi tenere i soldi che le avevo prestato

   you can have the money that I had lent her

   tengo una bella casa (southern Italy) ― I have a nice house

   Synonym: avere

7. (transitive) to treat (in a certain way)

   l'ho sempre tenuta come una bambina ― I always treated her as a little girl

8. (transitive) to have employed

   tiene dieci camerieri ― he has ten waiters employed

9. (transitive) to manage

   tenere una trattoria ― to manage a bistro

10. (transitive) to carry out (of a speech, lesson, etc.)
11. (transitive) to have over or keep (at a place)

    tenerla a cena ― to have her over for dinner

    mi ha tenuto a lavorare ― he had me over at work

12. (transitive) to hold back (an impulse, feeling, etc.)

    tenere il pianto ― to hold back one's tears (literally, “one's crying”)

13. (transitive) to look over or take care of
14. (transitive) to assume or take up (a behavior, attitude, etc.)
15. (transitive) to take up (to occupy space)
16. (transitive, informal) to contain
17. (transitive, military) to defend (a position, etc.) from enemy attack

    abbiamo tenuto lo sbocco della valle

    we defended the mouth of the valley

18. (transitive, journalism) to continue coverage of uninteresting or unpressing news, in hopes of future developments
19. (transitive, literary) to consider or deem; to hold to be

    come egli molto l'amava e molto bella la teneva

    how much he loved her and held her to be very beautiful

20. (transitive, archaic) to refrain from spending; to be stingy

    (transitive, archaic or literary) to achieve

21. (intransitive) to stick or attach well [auxiliary avere] (of a glue, etc.)
22. (intransitive) to be airtight [auxiliary avere]
23. (intransitive) to seem colorable; to hold water [auxiliary avere]
24. (intransitive) to last [auxiliary avere]

    un amore che ha tenuto nonostante le criticità ― a love that lasted despite some trying moments

25. (intransitive) to support someone's views, positions, etc. [+ per (object)] [auxiliary avere]

    se tieni per me, votami

    if you support me, vote for me

26. (intransitive) to root [+ per (object) = for] [auxiliary avere]
27. (intransitive) to like or love (in a non romantic way) [+ a (object)] [auxiliary avere]
28. (intransitive, economics) to remain stable [auxiliary avere] (of a currency, stock market, etc.)
29. (intransitive, rare) to look like [auxiliary avere]

• The use of tenere in the sense of avere (“to have”) is typically nonstandard and often associated with the Neapolitan dialect and region.

Including lesser-used forms:

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɛ.ne.re/
• Rhymes: -ɛnere
• Hyphenation: tè‧ne‧re

tenere f pl

1. feminine plural of tenero

• eterne

Adverb form of tener.

tenerē (comparative tenerius, superlative tenerissimē)

1. tenderly, lovingly

• (tenderly): teneriter

tenēre

1. inflection of teneō:
   1. present active infinitive
   2. second-person singular present passive imperative

• “tenere”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “tenere”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• tenere in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (ambiguous) to hold something in one's hand: manu or in manu tenere aliquid
    
  • (ambiguous) to hold fast in the teeth (also metaphorically, obstinately): mordicus tenere aliquid
    
  • (ambiguous) to be scarcely able to restrain one's laughter: risum tenere vix posse
    
  • (ambiguous) to be hardly able to restrain one's tears: lacrimas tenere non posse
    
  • (ambiguous) to abide by one's resolution: propositum, consilium tenere (opp. a proposito deterreri)
    
  • (ambiguous) to remember a thing perfectly: memoriā tenere aliquid
    
  • (ambiguous) to remember a thing perfectly: memoriam alicuius rei tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to have a vivid recollection of a thing: recenti memoria tenere aliquid
    
  • (ambiguous) to insist on a point: tenere aliquid; stare in aliqua re
    
  • (ambiguous) to be well versed in Roman history: memoriam rerum gestarum (rerum Romanarum) tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to be considered the foremost orator: eloquentiae principatum tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to rivet the attention of..: animos tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to observe moderation, be moderate: modum tenere, retinere, servare, adhibere
    
  • (ambiguous) to observe the golden mean: mediocritatem tenere (Off. 1. 25. 89)
    
  • (ambiguous) to remain true to one's principles: institutum tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to never appear in public: domi se tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to be a strict disciplinarian in one's household: severum imperium in suis exercere, tenere (De Sen. 11. 37)
    
  • (ambiguous) to keep up a usage: consuetudinem suam tenere, retinere,[TR1] servare
    
  • (ambiguous) to hold the reins of government: clavum rei publicae tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to occupy the leading position: principatum tenere, obtinere
    
  • (ambiguous) to have power over some one: imperium tenere (in aliquem)
    
  • (ambiguous) to keep the citizens in servile subjection: civitatem servitute oppressam tenere (Dom. 51. 131)
    
  • (ambiguous) to maintain one's right: ius suum tenere, obtinere
    
  • (ambiguous) to be commander-in-chief: imperii summam tenere (Rep. 2. 28)
    
  • (ambiguous) to hold a mountain: tenere montem (B. G. 1. 22)
    
  • (ambiguous) to remain inactive in camp: se (quietum) tenere castris
    
  • (ambiguous) to keep a town in a state of siege: oppidum in obsidione tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to hold on one's course: cursum tenere (opp. commutare and deferri)
    
  • (ambiguous) to steer: clavum tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to keep the coast and harbours in a state of blockade: litora ac portus custodia clausos tenere
    

• tené, tenè (alt. spellings)

Inherited from Latin tenēre.

• (Naples) IPA^(key): [təˈne]
• Rhymes: -e

tenere

1. to hold
2. to have, possess

   Synonym: avé

• AIS: Sprach- und Sachatlas Italiens und der Südschweiz [Linguistic and Ethnographic Atlas of Italy and Southern Switzerland] – map 1701: “forme dell'infinito: dare, potere, volere, sapere, vedere, bere, venire, avere, essere; participio passato: bevuto” – on navigais-web.pd.istc.cnr.it
• Rocco, Emmanuele (1882) “tenere”, in Vocabolario del dialetto napolitano

From Latin teneo, tenere.

tenere

1. (transitive) to hold
2. (transitive) to possess

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

• Present tense:- tènghe, tíne, téne, teníme, teníte, tènene