contenons

Contenons is the present tense form of the French verb contenir, used with the subject nous. As with other verb forms, its basic meaning is “we contain.” In ordinary sentences it appears as part of a normal clause, for example: Nous contenons des biscuits dans cette boîte, meaning “We contain cookies in this box.” The form contiennent, with the same root, is used for ils/elles; the infinitive is contenir.

The verb contenir means to hold, to contain, to include, or to restrain within limits. Contenir is built from the Latin continere, which means to hold together or to hold within. The semantic range in modern French covers physical containment (a container contains liquid), figurative containment (to keep emotions in check), and more generally “to include.” The past participle is contenu, which can appear in compound tenses and also functions as a noun meaning “content” (as in le contenu d’un livre).

Contenons as a word is not a standalone noun or widely used term; it is primarily observed as a grammatical form within conjugations of contenir. Because of its role as a verb form, it does not carry a separate concept or identity apart from its verbal function. In linguistic discussions, it is sometimes cited as an example of the nous-form in the present indicative, illustrating agreement with the subject plusieurs verbs share.

See also: contenir, contenu, contenu (as a noun meaning “content”).