retenons

Retenons is the first-person plural present indicative form of the French verb retenir. It can function as a simple declarative “we retain” or as a hortative equivalent of “let us retain/remember,” depending on the context and punctuation. In everyday use, the phrase often signals that the speaker and others should keep in mind a point or preserve something.

The verb retenir has several related meanings. It can mean to hold back or to keep from leaving, to retain or keep possession of something, or to remember and apply a lesson. In phrases like “Retenons ceci” or “Retenons cela,” retenons is used to urge collective memory or focus, similar to “let us note this” or “let’s keep this in mind.” The exact sense derives from the surrounding words and the communicative purpose of the sentence.

Etymology and related forms: retenir comes from the Latin retinēre, formed from re- (back) and tenēre (to hold). Related verbs include tenir (to hold) and obtenir (to obtain). Other grammatical forms of retenir include the infinitive retenir, the past participle retenu, and the present participle retenant. The nuance of retenons thus spans memory, preservation, and restraint, depending on usage.

See also: retenir; mémoire; rétention.