Contiens

Contiens is a form of the French verb contenir, specifically the second-person singular present indicative. It corresponds to the pronoun tu and means you contain, you hold within, or you restrain. Contenir itself means to hold inside, to include, or to restrain, and it is used both for physical containment and for more figurative senses such as containing emotions or ideas.

Etymology and conjugation: Contenir derives from Latin continere, from con- “together” and tenere “to hold.” In modern French, contenir is part of the tenir/contenir family and is conjugated with the same irregular pattern as tenir. The present indicative forms are: je contiens, tu contiens, il contient, nous contenons, vous contenez, ils contiennent. The form contiens therefore appears as the 2nd person singular.

Usage: Contenir is used in a wide range of contexts. Literal examples include “Cette boîte contient des biscuits” (This box contains biscuits) and “Le sac contient tout ce dont j’ai besoin.” Figurative uses include “tu contiens mal ton étonnement” (you hold back your astonishment) or “il contient ses émotions.” The word contiens is never used as a noun; it is a verb form functioning within a clause.

Related concepts: Contenu (content or contained material) and contenu/génie context variations such as contenir la victime or contenir des idées. The noun contenant refers to a container, while contenu denotes what is contained.

See also: contenir, contenir la capacité, tenue et contenants.