Tenir is a vital French verb meaning "to hold," but its use extends far beyond the physical act of holding. It is commonly employed to express maintaining a state, keeping promises, controlling situations, and even running businesses. Understanding tenir and its conjugations is essential for mastering nuanced expressions of attachment and responsibility in French.

French verb tenir = "to hold," but also used for maintaining, keeping, running, and more.
Expresses both physical and abstract forms of holding or keeping.
Central for conveying responsibility, control, and continuity in situations.

Conjugation Pattern

Tenir is an irregular verb that follows its own unique conjugation pattern, similar to venir (to come) and revenir (to come back). It is typically classified among the -ir verbs but does not follow the usual -ir conjugation rules.

Infinitive: tenir
Root for most tenses: ti- / tien- / ten-
Similar in form and logic to venir and its derivatives.

<table>

<tr><th> Tense</th> <th>Je</th> <th>Tu</th> <th>Il/Elle</th> <th>Nous</th> <th>Vous</th> <th>Ils/Elles</th></tr>

<tr><td> Present </td> <td>tiens</td> <td>tiens</td> <td>tient</td> <td>tenons</td> <td>tenez</td> <td>tiennent</td></tr>

<tr><td>Imparfait</td> <td>tenais</td> <td>tenais</td> <td>tenait</td> <td>tenions</td> <td>teniez</td> <td>tenaient</td></tr>

<tr><td>Futur</td> <td>tiendrai</td> <td>tiendras</td> <td>tiendra</td> <td>tiendrons</td> <td>tiendrez</td> <td>tiendront</td></tr>

<tr><td>Conditionnel</td> <td>tiendrais</td> <td>tiendrais</td> <td>tiendrait</td> <td>tiendrions</td> <td>tiendriez</td> <td>tiendraient</td></tr>

<tr><td>Subjonctif (présent)</td> <td>tienne</td> <td>tiennes</td> <td>tienne</td> <td>tenions</td> <td>teniez</td> <td>tiennent</td></tr>

</table>

(Present) Je tiens, tu tiens, il tient, nous tenons, vous tenez, ils tiennent
(Imparfait) Je tenais, tu tenais, il tenait, nous tenions, vous teniez, ils tenaient
(Futur) Je tiendrai, tu tiendras, il tiendra, nous tiendrons, vous tiendrez, ils tiendront
(Conditionnel) Je tiendrais, tu tiendrais, il tiendrait, nous tiendrions, vous tiendriez, ils tiendraient
(Subjonctif) Que je tienne, que tu tiennes, qu’il tienne, que nous tenions, que vous teniez, qu’ils tiennent

Which verbs share a similar conjugation pattern with 'tenir'?

venir

finir

attendre

revenir

*tenir* is conjugated like *venir* and *revenir*, not like regular -ir verbs such as *finir*.

Core Meanings and Uses

To hold/keep (physically or figuratively):

Tenir most directly means to physically hold or grip something.
It also applies to keeping something (e.g., a secret, attention) or maintaining conditions.

To run/manage:

Tenir can mean to run or manage a business (e.g., tenir un magasin).

To last/endure:

It’s used for something that “holds up” or lasts over time (e.g., Le moral tient).

To stick to/keep (promises, rules):

You can tenir a promise or an opinion (e.g., tenir une promesse).

Physical + abstract meanings: holding, keeping, maintaining, managing, enduring, sticking.
Used with objects, ideas, emotions, responsibilities, and operations.

Typical Expressions with Tenir

Tenir la main: to hold (someone’s) hand
Tenir une promesse/parole: to keep a promise/word
Tenir compte de: to take into account
Tenir le coup: to hold up / endure
Tenir à (faire quelque chose/quelqu’un): to be attached to / to want to
Tenir un rôle: to play a role
Tenir un magasin/un café: to run a store/a café
Tenir debout: to make sense, to stand up (figuratively)

Which are correct expressions with *tenir*?

tenir chaud

tenir la main

tenir le coup

tenir vite

tenir une promesse

tenir compte de

Common expressions include *tenir la main*, *tenir une promesse*, *tenir compte de*, *tenir le coup*.

Examples

Present

French	English
Je tiens la porte pour toi.	I’m holding the door for you.
Elle tient un café en ville.	She runs a café in town.
Nous tenons à notre amitié.	We care about our friendship.

Imparfait

French	English
Quand j’étais enfant, je tenais...	When I was a child, I used to hold...
Ils tenaient toujours parole.	They always kept their word.

Futur

French	English
Tiendras-tu ta promesse?	Will you keep your promise?
Le magasin tiendra longtemps.	The store will last a long time.

Conditionnel

French	English
Je tiendrais ta main si...	I would hold your hand if...
Nous tiendrions la réunion.	We would run the meeting.

Subjonctif

French	English
Il faut que tu tiennes la clé.	You must hold the key.
Qu’ils tiennent leurs promesses !	May they keep their promises!

What does 'tenir une promesse' mean?

To forget a promise

To negotiate a promise

To keep a promise

‘Tenir une promesse’ means to keep a promise.

How can *tenir* be used in a business context?

tenir un contrat (to sign a contract)

tenir un magasin

tenir une entreprise

*tenir* can be used for running or managing a business: 'tenir un magasin,' 'tenir une entreprise.'

Which of these are correct idiomatic uses of *tenir*?

tenir bas

tenir compte de

tenir en avant

tenir à quelqu’un

tenir le coup

Correct idioms include 'tenir à quelqu’un,' 'tenir le coup,' and 'tenir compte de.'

In which situations would you use 'tenir'?

Expressing preference ('aimer' is used for liking)

Holding an object

Maintaining an opinion

Reporting information ('dire' is used for saying)

Running a business

Keeping a promise

Use 'tenir' for holding (physically or figuratively), managing, keeping promises, and maintaining opinions.

Conclusion

Mastering tenir unlocks rich ways to express connection, responsibility, and influence in French—far beyond simply “holding."

tenir covers physical holding, managing, maintaining, and more.
It’s an irregular verb closely linked to venir in conjugation.
Common idioms with tenir reveal its versatility in everyday language.

French

Verb: Tenir: to hold