Tenir is a useful, expressive verb that is worth learning in depth. Learners often start with the idea of "to hold," then discover the same stem covers keeping a promise and saying what matters to someone.
English splits those ideas across hold, keep, and matter. French often folds them into tenir instead. That mix of meanings is why the verb can feel confusing at first.
A suitcase in your hand, a door you hold open, a shop someone runs, a friend whose company you keep: tenir can show up in all of those. Some uses are literal. Others are fixed phrases where a word-for-word translation does not help.
Learn these patterns and you will be able to use tenir to express yourself in many everyday contexts.
Forms and grammar
Tenir is irregular, and the stem changes for each form in the present tense:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| je tiens | nous tenons |
| tu tiens | vous tenez |
| il / elle tient | ils / elles tiennent |
Notice the split:
- Singular forms use tien- (je tiens, tu tiens, il / elle tient).
- Plural forms use ten- (nous tenons, vous tenez, ils / elles tiennent).
After getting used to the shape of tenir, verbs like retenir and obtenir become easier too.
For all tenses, see the conjugation of tenir.
In the past tense, tenir uses avoir, and the past participle is tenu:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| J'ai tenu la porte. | I held the door. |
| Nous avons tenu notre promesse. | We kept our promise. |
How to use tenir
The three uses below follow what tenir is doing: holding something physical, keeping a promise or your word, or marking what matters with tenir à.
Holding something
This is the physical sense: an object in your hand, a door you hold open, or someone in your arms.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je tiens mon sac. | I'm holding my bag. |
| Tiens la porte, s'il te plaît. | Hold the door, please. |
| Elle tient son bébé dans les bras. | She's holding her baby in her arms. |
Keeping a promise or your word
When French talks about keeping a promise or keeping your word, tenir is the usual verb.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je tiens ma promesse. | I keep my promise. |
| Nous tenons nos engagements. | We keep our commitments. |
| Il tient toujours sa parole. | He always keeps his word. |
Caring about something: tenir à
Add à afterward, and tenir marks what matters to you.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je tiens à ma famille. | I care about my family. |
| Nous tenons à nos amis. | We care about our friends. |
| Elle tient beaucoup à ce livre. | She cares a lot about this book. |
The same shape introduces something you want to stress. Je tiens à... is a little more formal than everyday conversation, and you will hear it in polite speech and writing.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je tiens à vous remercier. | I especially want to thank you. |
| Je tiens à être clair. | I want to be clear. |
Here tenir à is closer to "I especially want to..." than "I care about."
Other common constructions
Three more combinations you will hear often. None of them is a simple "hold" in the hand:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| tenir compagnie à quelqu'un | to keep someone company |
| tenir un restaurant | to run a restaurant |
| ça tient dans la poche | it fits in the pocket |
The first is the one that trips English speakers. We keep someone company. French uses tenir.
The restaurant example means you run the place: you're the owner or manager.
Ça tient dans la poche is about fitting, not gripping.
Expressions and idioms
In fixed expressions, learn the whole phrase. The meaning is hard to guess from tenir alone.
Tiens !
Used when you hand something to someone.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Tiens, voilà ton téléphone. | Here, here's your phone. |
tenir bon
To keep going when something is hard.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Courage, tiens bon ! | Keep going! Don't give up! |
Common mistakes
One mistake drops the preposition after tenir. The other picks the wrong French verb for English "keep."
Forgetting à
When tenir means "to care about," it needs à.
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| Je tiens ma famille. | Je tiens à ma famille. |
Confusing tenir and garder
English "keep" covers both. French does not. For a secret, use garder, not tenir.
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| Je tiens un secret. | Je garde un secret. |
Garder is for keeping or looking after something you have. Tenir is the usual choice for a promise or your word: Je tiens ma promesse.
Related verbs
- garder: to keep, to look after
- porter: to carry, to wear
- maintenir: to maintain
- retenir: to remember, to retain
Garder is the one to watch next to tenir. For a secret or your keys, French uses garder: je garde un secret. For a promise, it uses tenir: je tiens ma promesse.
Before you go
Treat tenir as a set of patterns, not a translation of a single English verb. At A2, that pays off when you hold a door, keep a promise, or say what matters with tenir à.