mantuviste

Mantuviste is the second-person singular form of the Spanish verb mantener in the pretérito indefinido (simple past). It translates roughly as “you maintained” or “you kept.” The form is used to describe a completed action in the past in which the subject kept or sustained something, such as a promise, a position, or a state.

Mantener is irregular in the preterite. Its standard conjugation in the pretérite is: yo mantuve, tú mantuviste, él/ella/usted mantuvo, nosotros mantuvimos, vosotros mantuvisteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes mantuvieron. This irregular pattern distinguishes it from regular -er verbs in the same tense.

Usage notes and examples: mantuviste commonly appears with direct objects that indicate what was kept or preserved, for example, “Tú mantuviste la calma durante la crisis” (you kept your calm during the crisis) or “Tú mantuviste tu posición en la reunión.” The verb also appears in broader senses of providing support, holding up financially, or sustaining a family or project, as in mantener a alguien or mantener un negocio. The reflexive form mantenerse is used to describe maintaining a state or condition in relation to oneself.

Etymology practice indicates mantener (to maintain) as the base verb, with mantuviste being one of its key simple past forms. Related forms include mantener and mantenerse, which extend the verb’s meanings to support, preserve, or sustain in different contexts.