Contenías

Contenías is a Spanish verb, the second-person singular imperfect indicative form of the verb contener. The verb contener translates to "to contain," "to hold," or "to restrain." Therefore, "contenías" specifically refers to an action of containing, holding, or restraining that was happening in the past, as performed by "you" (singular, informal). For example, in the sentence "Tú contenías la respiración," it means "You were holding your breath." The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing actions, habitual actions, or descriptive states in the past. It contrasts with the preterite tense, which describes completed actions in the past. Thus, "contenías" implies that the act of containing was in progress or was a repeated occurrence during a past period, rather than a single, finished event. Its usage depends heavily on the context of the surrounding Spanish sentence.