maintenez

Maintenez is a French verb form that belongs to the verb maintenir, meaning to keep, hold, or support. It specifically appears as the second-person plural present indicative (vous maintenez) and as the second-person plural imperative (Maintenez!). In everyday use, it can express keeping something in a condition, continuing a state or action, or upholding initiatives and norms.

Grammatically, maintenir is an irregular verb in the present tense. The full present conjugation for the common forms is: je maintiens, tu maintiens, il/elle/on maintient, nous maintenons, vous maintenez, ils/elles maintiennent. The imperative forms include Maintenez!, used to address multiple people or a formal address, and Maintiens! for informal singular commands (though the exact form for vous is the same as the present indicative: Maintenez).

Etymology traces maintenez back to Old French maintenir, from Latin manutenere, literally “to hold in the hand” (manu, hand, + tenere, to hold). The sense broadened over time to include sustaining, preserving, or supporting conditions, systems, finances, or reputations.

Usage notes emphasize nuance: maintenir can denote physical support (maintain a position), abstract continuity (maintain a habit), or administrative action (maintain order, maintain standards, maintain costs). In technical or instructional contexts, Maintenez is common in commands and guidelines, signaling the user to keep a setting, posture, or procedure in effect.

See also: maintenance, maintainability, upholding.