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tenere

to hold

verb teh-NEH-reh Common

Origin: Latin tenere (to hold)

Also means

to keep

Usage Note

Tenere is irregular: present tengo, tieni, tiene…; past participle tenuto; takes avere as auxiliary. Tenere a means 'to care about': ci tengo molto (I care a lot about it). Do not confuse with sentire (to feel/hear). The reflexive tenersi means 'to hold on' or 'to stay': tieniti forte (hold on tight).

Examples

"Tieni la porta aperta, per favore."

Natural Translation

Hold the door open, please.

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