mantengan

Mantengan is a Spanish verb form derived from mantener, meaning to maintain, keep, or support. It functions primarily as the second-person plural formal command (ustedes) of mantener, and also as the third-person plural present subjunctive form used in subordinate clauses. In practice, the spelling mantengan is shared by both the affirmative command to a group and the present subjunctive form for ustedes/ellos.

Morphology and related forms: The root for mantener changes in various tenses (for example, yo mantengo, tú mantienes, él mantiene, nosotros mantenemos, vosotros mantenéis, ellos mantienen). The form mantengan comes from the stem manteng- combined with the endings -an, which appear in the present subjunctive and in the affirmative imperative for ustedes. The negative imperative is formed as no mantengan.

Usage: Mantengan is used to issue a directive to a group or to express a wish or requirement in a subordinate clause. Examples include: Mantengan la calma en la situación. (Keep calm in the situation.) Espero que mantengan la distancia social. (I hope you all keep social distance.) Que mantengan la compostura durante la reunión. (That they keep their composure during the meeting.)

Etymology: Mantener derives from Latin manu tenēre, meaning to hold in the hand. The modern form mantengan reflects the evolution of the stem and the subjunctive/imperative endings in Spanish.

See also: Mantener, Spanish verb conjugation, Imperative mood, Subjunctive mood.