mantienen

Mantienen is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Spanish verb mantener. Mantener means to maintain, to keep, to support, or to retain. The form is used with subjects such as ellos, ellas, or ustedes.

In the present tense, mantener is irregular. Examples of the present indicative forms are: yo mantengo, tú mantienes, él mantiene, nosotros mantenemos, vosotros mantenéis, ellos mantienen.

Uses of mantener include a variety of senses: to keep something in good condition (Ellos mantienen el coche), to support someone financially (Ellos mantienen a su familia), to preserve or uphold a state or idea (Mantienen la calma), and to sustain a relationship or position (Mantienen una relación, un acuerdo). The meaning is often determined by the object or complement that follows the verb.

Related forms and notes: mantenerse means to remain or to keep oneself, depending on the context. The noun mantenimiento (maintenance) corresponds to the action or process of keeping or supporting something. Mantener appears across dialects of Spanish, with regional preferences for vocabulary related to upkeep and support.

Overall, mantienen is a common conjugation used to describe ongoing acts of keeping, preserving, or supporting by a plural subject.