Mastering Spanish verbs can be a challenging but rewarding aspect of learning the language. A particularly intriguing verb is “contenerse,” which means to contain oneself, to restrain, or to hold back. Understanding how to conjugate “contenerse” in Spanish is essential for those looking to express restraint or self-control in various situations. This article is designed to guide learners through the intricacies of conjugating “contenerse” across different tenses and moods, providing a comprehensive overview of its usage in the Spanish language.
Conjugating reflexive verbs like “contenerse” introduces learners to the nuanced aspect of verb usage that reflects actions performed upon oneself. The process of learning how to conjugate “contenerse” in Spanish not only expands ones vocabulary but also enhances their understanding of how reflexive pronouns and verbs interact to convey self-referential actions. This understanding is crucial for achieving fluency and for expressing complex ideas and emotions in Spanish.
Furthermore, mastering the conjugation of “contenerse” equips language learners with the tools to communicate more effectively in Spanish-speaking environments. Whether its in casual conversations, formal writing, or during travel, knowing how to accurately use and conjugate this verb can significantly improve ones ability to share thoughts on self-discipline, restraint, and personal control. This article aims to demystify the process and make the learning journey smoother and more enjoyable for Spanish language enthusiasts at all levels.
Contenerse Conjugation Chart in Spanish
| Personal Pronoun | Presente | Pretérito | Imperfecto | Futuro | Condicional | Presente Subjuntivo | Imperfecto Subjuntivo | Imperativo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | me contengo | me contuve | me contenía | me contendré | me contendría | me contenga | me contuviera | contén(te) |
| Tú | te contienes | te contuviste | te contenías | te contendrás | te contendrías | te contengas | te contuvieras | contén |
| Él/Ella/Usted | se contiene | se contuvo | se contenía | se contendrá | se contendría | se contenga | se contuviera | conténga(se) |
| Nosotros | nos contenemos | nos contuvimos | nos conteníamos | nos contendremos | nos contendríamos | nos contengamos | nos contuviéramos | contengámos(nos) |
| Vosotros | os contenéis | os contuvisteis | os conteníais | os contendréis | os contendríais | os contengáis | os contuvierais | conteneos |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | se contienen | se contuvieron | se contenían | se contendrán | se contendrían | se contengan | se contuvieran | conténga(se) |
Contenerse Conjugation Present Tense – Presente
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me contengo | Yo me contengo para no reírme en clase. | I restrain myself not to laugh in class. |
| tú | te contienes | Tú te contienes de hablar mal. | You restrain yourself from speaking badly. |
| él/ella/usted | se contiene | Él se contiene cuando está enojado. | He restrains himself when he’s angry. |
| nosotros/nosotras | nos contenemos | Nos contenemos de comer postres. | We restrain ourselves from eating desserts. |
| vosotros/vosotras | os contenéis | Vosotros os contenéis durante la película. | You guys restrain yourselves during the movie. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | se contienen | Ellos se contienen de hacer comentarios. | They restrain themselves from making comments. |
Contenerse Conjugation Present Perfect Tense – Pretérito Perfecto Conjugation Chart
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me he contenido | Últimamente, me he contenido mucho con los dulces. | Lately, I have restrained myself a lot with sweets. |
| tú | te has contenido | ¿Te has contenido con las compras este mes? | Have you restrained yourself with shopping this month? |
| él/ella/usted | se ha contenido | Ella se ha contenido de hacer comentarios. | She has restrained herself from making comments. |
| nosotros/nosotras | nos hemos contenido | Nos hemos contenido de decir algo al respecto. | We have restrained ourselves from saying anything about it. |
| vosotros/vosotras | os habéis contenido | ¿Os habéis contenido de entrar en discusiones? | Have you (all) restrained yourselves from getting into arguments? |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | se han contenido | Se han contenido mucho últimamente. | They have restrained themselves a lot lately. |
Contenerse Conjugation Simple Paste Tense – Pretérito Indefinido
Here’s Contenerse conjugation preterite indefinido:
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me contuve | Ayer me contuve de no comprar más dulces. | Yesterday I restrained myself from buying more sweets. |
| tú | te contuviste | Te contuviste de decir algo incorrecto. | You restrained yourself from saying something wrong. |
| él/ella/usted | se contuvo | Se contuvo de reaccionar con enojo. | He/She/You(formal) restrained himself/herself/yourself from reacting angrily. |
| nosotros/nosotras | nos contuvimos | Nos contuvimos de hacer comentarios. | We restrained ourselves from making comments. |
| vosotros/vosotras | os contuvisteis | Os contuvisteis de participar en la discusión. | You all restrained yourselves from participating in the discussion. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | se contuvieron | Se contuvieron de emitir juicios rápidos. | They/You(all formal) restrained themselves from making quick judgments. |
Contenerse Imperfect Conjugation – Pretérito Imperfecto
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | – | – | – |
| tú | contén | Contén tus palabras. | Hold your words. |
| él/ella/usted | conténgase | Por favor, conténgase un momento. | Please, hold yourself for a moment. |
| nosotros/nosotras | contengámonos | Contengámonos y pensemos antes de hablar. | Let’s hold ourselves and think before speaking. |
| vosotros/vosotras | conteneos | Conteneos y seréis sabios. | Hold yourselves and you will be wise. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | conténganse | Conténganse hasta que llegue la ayuda. | Hold yourselves until help arrives. |
Contenerse Conjugation Pluperfect/Past Perfect Tense – Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me había contenido | Antes de reaccionar, yo me había contenido. | Before reacting, I had contained myself. |
| tú | te habías contenido | Tú te habías contenido antes de hablar. | You had contained yourself before speaking. |
| él/ella | se había contenido | Él se había contenido a pesar de la provocación. | He had contained himself despite the provocation. |
| nosotros | nos habíamos contenido | Nosotros nos habíamos contenido de criticar. | We had contained ourselves from criticizing. |
| vosotros | os habíais contenido | Vosotros os habíais contenido de actuar precipitadamente. | You had contained yourselves from acting rashly. |
| ellos | se habían contenido | Ellos se habían contenido de decir todo lo que pensaban. | They had contained themselves from saying everything they thought. |
Contenerse Conjugation Simple Future Tense – Futuro Simple
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me contendré | Mañana me contendré al ver los dulces. | Tomorrow I will restrain myself upon seeing the sweets. |
| tú | te contendrás | Tú te contendrás de comprar más juegos. | You will restrain yourself from buying more games. |
| él/ella/usted | se contendrá | Ella se contendrá de hacer comentarios. | She will restrain herself from making comments. |
| nosotros/nosotras | nos contendremos | Nos contenderemos de entrar en el debate. | We will restrain ourselves from entering the debate. |
| vosotros/vosotras | os contendréis | Os contendréis de gastar todo en una noche. | You all will restrain yourselves from spending it all in one night. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | se contendrán | Se contendrán de criticar el proyecto ahora. | They will restrain themselves from criticizing the project now. |
Contenerse Spanish Conjugation Future Perfect Tense – Futuro Perfecto
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me habré contenido | Para mañana, yo me habré contenido y estaré calmado. | By tomorrow, I will have contained myself and will be calm. |
| tú | te habrás contenido | Tú te habrás contenido antes de tomar una decisión. | You will have contained yourself before making a decision. |
| él/ella/usted | se habrá contenido | Ella se habrá contenido a pesar de la provocación. | She will have contained herself despite the provocation. |
| nosotros/as | nos habremos contenido | Nosotros nos habremos contenido durante la reunión. | We will have contained ourselves during the meeting. |
| vosotros/as | os habréis contenido | Vosotros os habréis contenido en la discusión. | You all will have contained yourselves in the discussion. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | se habrán contenido | Ellos se habrán contenido para evitar conflictos. | They will have contained themselves to avoid conflicts. |
Contenerse Conjugation Simple Conditional Tense – Condicional Simple
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me contendría | Yo me contendría de opinar sin saber. | I would restrain myself from opining without knowing. |
| tú | te contendrías | Tú te contendrías de actuar precipitadamente. | You would restrain yourself from acting hastily. |
| él/ella | se contendría | Él se contendría de hacer comentarios. | He would restrain himself from making comments. |
| nosotros | nos contendríamos | Nosotros nos contendríamos de juzgar sin pruebas. | We would restrain ourselves from judging without evidence. |
| vosotros | os contendríais | Vosotros os contendríais de intervenir sin ser llamados. | You all would restrain yourselves from intervening without being asked. |
| ellos/ellas | se contendrían | Ellos se contendrían de participar en la discusión. | They would restrain themselves from participating in the discussion. |
Conjugate Contenerse in Spanish: Conditional Perfect Tense – Condicional Compuesto
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me habría contenido | Si hubiera sabido, me habría contenido más. | If I had known, I would have restrained myself more. |
| tú | te habrías contenido | Si te sintieras mal, te habrías contenido de decirlo. | If you felt bad, you would have refrained from saying it. |
| él/ella/usted | se habría contenido | Ella se habría contenido de criticar si supiera la verdad. | She would have refrained from criticizing if she knew the truth. |
| nosotros/nosotras | nos habríamos contenido | Nos habríamos contenido de reír, pero fue imposible. | We would have refrained from laughing, but it was impossible. |
| vosotros/vosotras | os habríais contenido | Os habríais contenido de hacer comentarios si entendierais la situación. | You would have refrained from making comments if you understood the situation. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | se habrían contenido | Se habrían contenido de actuar así de haber conocido las consecuencias. | They would have restrained themselves from acting like that had they known the consequences. |
Contenerse Conjugation Imperative Tense – Imperativo
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | – | – | – |
| tú | contén | Contén tus palabras. | Hold your words. |
| él/ella/usted | conténgase | Por favor, conténgase un momento. | Please, hold yourself for a moment. |
| nosotros/nosotras | contengámonos | Contengámonos y pensemos antes de hablar. | Let’s hold ourselves and think before speaking. |
| vosotros/vosotras | conteneos | Conteneos y seréis sabios. | Hold yourselves and you will be wise. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | conténganse | Conténganse hasta que llegue la ayuda. | Hold yourselves until help arrives. |
Contenerse Subjunctive Conjugation
Contenerse Subjunctive Conjugation Present Tense – Subjuntivo Presente
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me contenga | Espero que yo me contenga en la fiesta. | I hope I restrain myself at the party. |
| tú | te contengas | Quiero que te contengas de responder. | I want you to restrain yourself from replying. |
| él/ella/usted | se contenga | Es importante que él se contenga durante la reunión. | It’s important for him to restrain himself during the meeting. |
| nosotros/nosotras | nos contengamos | Ojalá que nos contengamos de hacer comentarios. | Hopefully, we restrain ourselves from making comments. |
| vosotros/vosotras | os contengáis | Espero que os contengáis de criticar. | I hope you all restrain yourselves from criticizing. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | se contengan | Es crucial que se contengan de actuar precipitadamente. | It’s crucial they restrain themselves from acting rashly. |
Contenerse Conjugation Present Perfect Subjunctive – Subjuntivo Pretérito Perfecto
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me haya contenido | Es bueno que yo me haya contenido de hablar. | It’s good that I have refrained from speaking. |
| tú | te hayas contenido | Espero que tú te hayas contenido en la fiesta. | I hope you have restrained yourself at the party. |
| él/ella/usted | se haya contenido | Me alegra que él se haya contenido de reaccionar mal. | I’m glad he has restrained himself from reacting poorly. |
| nosotros/as | nos hayamos contenido | Aunque nos costó, nos hayamos contenido de comentar. | Although it was hard, we have restrained ourselves from commenting. |
| vosotros/as | os hayáis contenido | Ojalá que vosotros os hayáis contenido en sus comentarios. | I hope that you all have held back in your comments. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | se hayan contenido | Es mejor que ellos se hayan contenido durante la discusión. | It’s better that they have restrained themselves during the discussion. |
Contenerse Conjugation Imperfect Subjunctive – Subjuntivo Pretérito Imperfecto
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me contuviera o contuviese | Deseaba que me contuviera y no dijera nada. | I wished I would restrain myself and not say anything. |
| tú | te contuvieras o contuvieses | Esperaba que te contuvieras durante la discusión. | I hoped you would restrain yourself during the discussion. |
| él/ella/usted | se contuviera o contuviese | Rogaba que se contuviera antes de actuar. | I prayed he/she/you would restrain before acting. |
| nosotros/nosotras | nos contuviéramos o contuviésemos | Queríamos que nos contuviéramos de gritar. | We wanted us to restrain from shouting. |
| vosotros/vosotras | os contuvierais o contuvieseis | Les aconsejé que se contuvieran de comentar. | I advised you all to refrain from commenting. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | se contuvieran o contuviesen | Se esperaba que se contuvieran de criticar. | It was expected they/you all would refrain from criticizing. |
Contenerse Pluperfect Subjunctive Conjugation – Subjuntivo Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me hubiera contenido | Si me hubiera contenido, no habría dicho eso. | If I had held myself back, I wouldn’t have said that. |
| tú | te hubieras contenido | Ojalá te hubieras contenido antes de actuar. | I wish you had held yourself back before acting. |
| él/ella/usted | se hubiera contenido | Ella no lo había insultado si se hubiera contenido. | She wouldn’t have insulted him if she had held herself back. |
| nosotros/nosotras | nos hubiéramos contenido | Nos hubiéramos contenido si supiéramos las consecuencias. | We would have held ourselves back if we had known the consequences. |
| vosotros/vosotras | os hubierais contenido | ¿Por qué no os hubierais contenido en ese momento? | Why hadn’t you all held yourselves back at that moment? |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | se hubieran contenido | Hubieran ganado si se hubieran contenido un poco más. | They would have won if they had held themselves back a bit more. |
Contenerse Conjugation Future Subjunctive – Subjuntivo Futuro
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | me contuviere | Si me contuviere, evitaré problemas. | If I restrain myself, I will avoid problems. |
| tú | te contuvieres | Si te contuvieres más a menudo, las cosas serían diferentes. | If you restrained yourself more often, things would be different. |
| él/ella/usted | se contuviere | Espero que se contuviere y no haga un escándalo. | I hope he/she restrains himself/herself and doesnt make a scene. |
| nosotros/nosotras | nos contuviéremos | Si nos contuviéremos un poco, ahorraríamos energía. | If we restrained ourselves a bit, we would save energy. |
| vosotros/vosotras | os contuviereis | Ojalá os contuviereis antes de decir algo de lo que podríais arrepentiros. | I wish you all would restrain yourselves before saying something you might regret. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | se contuvieren | Si se contuvieren, todo se resolvería pacíficamente. | If they restrained themselves, everything would be resolved peacefully. |
Practice Test For Conjugating Contenerse in Spanish
Practice Test: Conjugation of “contenerse”
-
Yo __ cuando estoy enojado para no decir algo de lo que me arrepienta.
A) me contengo
B) te contienes
C) se contiene
D) nos contenemos -
Tú __ de comer demasiado pastel en la fiesta.
A) me contengo
B) te contienes
C) se contiene
D) nos contenemos -
Él __ de reír en momentos serios.
A) me contengo
B) te contienes
C) se contiene
D) nos contenemos -
Nosotros __ de entrar en debates inútiles.
A) me contengo
B) te contienes
C) se contiene
D) nos contenemos -
Vosotros __ al discutir temas controversiales.
A) os contenéis
B) se contienen
C) te contienes
D) me contengo -
Ellos __ de hacer comentarios inapropiados en reuniones.
A) os contenéis
B) se contienen
C) te contienes
D) me contengo -
Yo no __ bien bajo presión a veces.
A) me contengo
B) te contienes
C) se contiene
D) nos contenemos -
¿Tú __ de decir todo lo que piensas?
A) me contengo
B) te contienes
C) se contiene
D) nos contenemos -
¿Cuándo __ usted de intervenir en discusiones ajenas?
A) me contengo
B) te contienes
C) se contiene
D) nos contenemos -
Nosotros nunca __ en momentos críticos.
A) me contengo
B) te contienes
C) se contiene
D) nos contenemos -
Vosotros __ de criticar sin saber toda la historia.
A) os contenéis
B) se contienen
C) te contienes
D) me contengo -
Ellos siempre __ de comer antes de nadar.
A) os contenéis
B) se contienen
C) te contienes
D) me contengo -
Yo __ mucho para no llorar en público.
A) me contengo
B) te contienes
C) se contiene
D) nos contenemos -
Tú __ demasiado, deberías expresarte más.
A) me contengo
B) te contienes
C) se contiene
D) nos contenemos -
Usted __ de participar en los chismes de la oficina.
A) me contengo
B) te contienes
C) se contiene
D) nos contenemos -
Nosotros __ de comentar sobre la vida personal de los demás.
A) me contengo
B) te contienes
C) se contiene
D) nos contenemos -
Vosotros __ demasiado, es importante expresar lo que se siente.
A) os contenéis
B) se contienen
C) te contienes
D) me contengo -
Ellos __ de gastar dinero innecesariamente.
A) os contenéis
B) se contienen
C) te contienes
D) me contengo -
En situaciones difíciles, yo __ para mantener la calma.
A) me contengo
B) te contienes
C) se contiene
D) nos contenemos -
¿Vosotros __ de tomar decisiones apresuradas?
A) os contenéis
B) se contienen
C) te contienes
D) me contengo
Answers:
1. A) me contengo
2. B) te contienes
3. C) se contiene
4. D) nos contenemos
5. A) os contenéis
6. B) se contienen
7. A) me contengo
8. B) te contienes
9. C) se contiene
10. D) nos contenemos
11. A) os contenéis
12. B) se contienen
13. A) me contengo
14. B) te contienes
15. C) se contiene
16. D) nos contenemos
17. A) os contenéis
18. B) se contienen
19. A) me contengo
20. A) os contenéis
This definitive guide on how to conjugate contenerse in Spanish is designed for learners at all levels. Whether you’re a beginner eager to master the basics or an advanced learner polishing your grammar, this article is tailored to cover every angle of contenerse conjugation. With a meticulous approach, we’ve distilled key insights into the most searched-for aspects of conjugating ‘contenerse,’ ensuring that no stone is left unturned.
In this comprehensive exploration, we delve into the contenerse conjugation present, where you’ll discover how to correctly use contenerse in the present tense, laying the foundation for expressing current actions and states. We then transition into the past with contenerse preterite and contenerse conjugation preterite, guiding you through the nuances of recounting completed actions. For those intricate narratives, contenerse preterite conjugation will sharpen your storytelling, ensuring you convey past events with accuracy.
Venturing into the subjunctive mood, our guide on contenerse subjunctive illuminates how to express desires, doubts, and hypotheticals with contenerse, adding depth to your conversations and writings. And for those looking to master every tense, our sections on contenerse conditional, contenerse imperative, and contenerse infinitive usage will refine your command of Spanish, enabling you to navigate future possibilities, give commands, and utilize contenerse in its most versatile form.
By weaving through these phrases, our article stands as a beacon for learners and educators alike, promising a well-rounded mastery of contenerse. So, whether you’re drafting an email, engaging in conversation, or penning a narrative, let this guide be your trusted companion in conquering the conjugation of “contenerse” across all its forms.
Final Words
Conjugating “contenerse” in Spanish is an essential skill for learners wishing to express concepts related to self-restraint or control in various tenses. This verb, reflecting the reflexive form of “contener,” requires a good understanding of Spanish verb conjugation rules to be used accurately in conversation and writing. Its conjugation across different tenses allows speakers to articulate feelings, actions, and states concerning holding oneself back or containing one’s emotions or actions accurately.
Mastering the conjugation of “contenerse” paves the way for more nuanced and sophisticated expression in Spanish. It enables learners to delve deeper into expressing complex ideas that are part of daily life conversations as well as more formal or literary texts. The ability to conjugate “contenerse” correctly enhances one’s ability to communicate effectively about self-control, restraint, and emotional containment, which are universal themes in human interaction.
In conclusion, a thorough understanding of how to conjugate “contenerse” in Spanish significantly enriches a learner’s linguistic capability. It not only broadens one’s vocabulary but also enhances the ability to engage in more complex discussions about personal and social behavior. As students continue to practice and apply these conjugation skills in various contexts, they will find their fluency and confidence in Spanish continually improving.