detener

Detener is a Spanish verb with several related senses centered on stopping or slowing movement, action, or progress. The primary meanings include to stop or halt something in motion (detener un coche), to arrest or detain a person (detener a alguien), and to prevent or suspend an ongoing process. It can also be used reflexively in detenerse to stop oneself or to pause.

Grammatically, detener is a regular -er verb with a stem detend- in many tenses, though some forms are irregular in the preterite. Common conjugations include: present indicative detengo, detienes, detiene, detenemos, detienen; preterite detuve, detuviste, detuvo, detuvimos, detuvieron; imperfect detenía, detenías, detenía, deteníamos, detenían; future detendré, detendrás, detendrá, detendremos, detendrán; conditional detendría; present subjunctive detenga, detengas, detenga, detengamos, detengan; imperfect subjunctive detuviera; gerund deteniendo; past participle detenido. The reflexive form detenerse follows me detengo, te detienes, se detiene, nos detenemos, se detienen, with corresponding preterite and other tenses.

Etymology and related terms: detener derives from Latin detinēre, a combination of de- and tenēre (to hold). It is cognate with the English detain. Related nouns include detención (detention) and detenido (detained or detainee). Distinctions in usage include detener for physically stopping or arresting, parar or cesar as alternatives in some contexts, and detenerse used for pausing one’s own action.

Usage notes and examples: Detener el coche para evitar un obstáculo; la policía detuvo al sospechoso ayer; la marcha se detuvo a la mitad. Detenido describes someone who has been detained, while detenerse puede expresar pausa o interrupción voluntaria.