detiene

Detiene is the third-person singular present indicative form of the Spanish verb detener. It translates roughly as “he stops,” “she stops,” or “it stops” in English, and is used to express halting movement or action. Detener, the infinitive, carries the senses of stopping or detaining, depending on context. In addition to detiene, the present indicative forms are detengo, detienes, detenemos, detenéis, detenienen.

Detener derives from Latin detinere, from de- (away, back) and tenere (to hold). In Spanish, detener can mean to stop something in motion (a vehicle or process) or to restrain or arrest a person, particularly in legal or police contexts. The related noun detención refers to detention or arrest, and the adjective detenido describes someone who has been detained.

Usage and nuances: detiene is used for routine halting, as in traffic or pausing an activity. It also appears in contexts of temporary restraint or capture by authorities. Distinctions between stopping and detaining are determined by context and objects involved. Examples commonly appear in both everyday language and formal writing.

Examples: El coche se detiene en la señal. (The car stops at the signal.) El agente detiene al sospechoso. (The officer detains the suspect.) Detener and its forms thus cover a range from simple stopping to official detention, depending on the scenario.

See also: detención, detenido, detener.