mantêm

Mantém is a form of the Portuguese verb manter, used as the present indicative for the third-person singular: ele mantém, ela mantém, você mantém. The infinitive manter means to keep, to maintain, to preserve, or to uphold. As a transitive verb, manter typically takes a direct object or a complement that expresses what is being kept or sustained, for example: manter a palavra (to keep one’s word), manter a calma (to stay calm), manter o ritmo (to maintain pace).

Etymology and cognates: manter derives from Latin roots related to staying or remaining, with the sense expansion to keep or preserve. It has cognates in other Romance languages, such as manter in Portuguese is related to Spanish mantener and Italian mantenere, all reflecting the idea of holding or sustaining something over time.

Conjugation context: mantêm (with a different accent) is the form used for the third-person plural: eles/elas mantêm, and vocês mantêm in many varieties of Brazilian Portuguese. The verb’s stem appears as manter across various tenses and moods (eu mantenho, tu manténs, nós mantemos, etc.), with orthographic accents guiding pronunciation.

Usage notes: Mantém is common in both formal and informal contexts. It is frequently used to express ongoing maintenance of physical states, commitments, or statuses, as well as to describe habitual actions (e.g., ele mantém hábitos saudáveis) and the endurance of conditions (e.g., mantém-se firme diante dos desafios).

See also: manter, manutenção, mantenha (imperative).