---
title: "Tenir conjugation: all tenses with examples"
description: "Tenir in every French tense: je tiens, j'ai tenu, je tiendrai, que je tienne. Full tables, examples and TCF/TEF Canada tips."
canonical: https://francaisprep.com/french-conjugation/tenir
---

French conjugation

# Tenir conjugation

Tenir (“to hold, to keep”) in every tense you need, from the présent to the subjonctif, with example sentences and how it shows up in the TCF and TEF Canada.

[Take the free level test](/tools/french-level-test)[See the tables](#tables)

-   Every tense on one page
-   Tables generated from an open French lexicon
-   Notes for TCF and TEF candidates

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In short

Tenir (“to hold, to keep”) is an irregular verb of the third group. In the présent: je tiens, tu tiens, il/elle tient, nous tenons, vous tenez, ils/elles tiennent. Its passé composé is formed with avoir and the past participle tenu, and its futur simple is built on the stem tiendr-.

## Tenir at a glance

Meaning

to hold, to keep

Type

Irregular verb (third group)

Auxiliary

avoir

Past participle

tenu

Present participle

tenant

Future stem

tiendr-

## Tenir in every tense

### Présent

Present

-   je tiens
-   tu tiens
-   il/elle tient
-   nous tenons
-   vous tenez
-   ils/elles tiennent

[When to use the présent](/blog/french-verb-tenses-for-tcf-tef)

### Passé composé

Compound past

-   j'ai tenu
-   tu as tenu
-   il/elle a tenu
-   nous avons tenu
-   vous avez tenu
-   ils/elles ont tenu

[When to use the passé composé](/blog/passe-compose-vs-imparfait)

### Imparfait

Imperfect

-   je tenais
-   tu tenais
-   il/elle tenait
-   nous tenions
-   vous teniez
-   ils/elles tenaient

[When to use the imparfait](/blog/passe-compose-vs-imparfait)

### Futur simple

Simple future

-   je tiendrai
-   tu tiendras
-   il/elle tiendra
-   nous tiendrons
-   vous tiendrez
-   ils/elles tiendront

[When to use the futur simple](/blog/french-verb-tenses-for-tcf-tef)

### Conditionnel présent

Present conditional

-   je tiendrais
-   tu tiendrais
-   il/elle tiendrait
-   nous tiendrions
-   vous tiendriez
-   ils/elles tiendraient

[When to use the conditionnel présent](/blog/french-verb-tenses-for-tcf-tef)

### Subjonctif présent

Present subjunctive

-   que je tienne
-   que tu tiennes
-   qu'il/elle tienne
-   que nous tenions
-   que vous teniez
-   qu'ils/elles tiennent

[When to use the subjonctif présent](/blog/le-subjonctif)

### Impératif

Imperative

-   tiens
-   tenons
-   tenez

### Passé simple (literary)

Simple past, used in written narrative

-   je tins
-   tu tins
-   il/elle tint
-   nous tînmes
-   vous tîntes
-   ils/elles tinrent

### Participles

Present and past participles

-   Present participle: tenant
-   Past participle: tenu, tenue, tenus, tenues

TCF and TEF Canada

## How tenir shows up in the TCF and TEF

Tenir conjugates like venir but takes avoir. « Tenir à » (to care about) and « tenez » (here you are) are common in spoken extracts.

-   Je tiens à vous remercier pour votre aide. _I really want to thank you for your help._
-   Tenez, voici votre reçu. _Here you are, this is your receipt._

## From conjugation tables to an exam score

Knowing the forms of tenir is the easy part. The TCF and TEF Canada mark whether you use the right tense, under time pressure, in your own sentences.

-   Check your level
    
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-   Talk to a teacher
    
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Questions

## Tenir conjugation: questions

### How do you conjugate tenir in the present tense?

In the présent, tenir is: je tiens, tu tiens, il/elle tient, nous tenons, vous tenez, ils/elles tiennent.

### What is the passé composé of tenir?

Tenir forms the passé composé with avoir and the past participle tenu: j'ai tenu, tu as tenu, il/elle a tenu, nous avons tenu, vous avez tenu, ils/elles ont tenu.

### Is tenir conjugated with être or avoir?

Tenir takes avoir in the passé composé and the other compound tenses: j'ai tenu.

### What is tenir in the futur simple?

The futur simple of tenir is built on the stem tiendr-: je tiendrai, tu tiendras, il/elle tiendra, nous tiendrons, vous tiendrez, ils/elles tiendront.

### What is the imperfect of tenir?

The imparfait of tenir is: je tenais, tu tenais, il/elle tenait, nous tenions, vous teniez, ils/elles tenaient.

### What is the subjunctive of tenir?

The subjonctif présent of tenir is: que je tienne, que tu tiennes, qu'il/elle tienne, que nous tenions, que vous teniez, qu'ils/elles tiennent.

### What is tenir in the passé simple?

The passé simple is a literary tense you will read in narratives and biographies but rarely need to write. For tenir: je tins, tu tins, il/elle tint, nous tînmes, vous tîntes, ils/elles tinrent.

### What is the imperative of tenir?

The impératif of tenir has three forms: tiens, tenons, tenez (tu, nous and vous).

### What is the past participle of tenir?

The past participle of tenir is tenu (feminine tenue, plural tenus, tenues). Its present participle is tenant.

## More French verbs

-   [être](/french-conjugation/etre)
-   [avoir](/french-conjugation/avoir)
-   [aller](/french-conjugation/aller)
-   [faire](/french-conjugation/faire)
-   [dire](/french-conjugation/dire)
-   [pouvoir](/french-conjugation/pouvoir)
-   [vouloir](/french-conjugation/vouloir)
-   [devoir](/french-conjugation/devoir)

[All 64 verbs](/french-conjugation)

Conjugation tables are generated from the Lefff (Lexique des formes fléchies du français, Benoît Sagot, Inria), packaged as french-verbs-lefff@3.4.0 and distributed under the [LGPL-LR licence](https://www.labri.fr/perso/clement/lefff/licence-LGPLLR.html). Compound forms are built from its auxiliary and participle forms.

Next step

## Preparing for the TCF or TEF Canada?

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