sostener

Sostener is a Spanish verb with meanings centered on keeping something upright, supporting or sustaining it, and upholding ideas, arguments, or people. It can refer to physical support, to maintaining a position or weight, or to backing a claim, a decision, or a person financially or morally. The verb also appears in reflexive form as sostenerse, meaning to hold oneself up or to remain standing or to rely on something.

In present tense use, sostener shows a stem change: sostengo, sostienes, sostiene, sostenemos, sostenéis, sostienen. In the preterite it is sostuve, sostuviste, sostuvo, sostuvimos, sostuvieron. The imperfect is sostenía, sostenías, sostenía, sosteníamos, sostenían. The future is sostendré, sostendrás, sostendrá, sostendremos, sostendrán. The present subjunctive forms are sostenga, sostengas, sostenga, sostengamos, sostengáis, sostengan. The past subjunctive can be sostuviera or sostuviese. The gerund is sosteniendo and the past participle is sostenido. The verb is transitive and often followed by a direct object or complemented by a prepositional phrase.

Common uses include: sostener un peso (to bear a weight), sostener una estructura (to support a structure), sostener una hipótesis o argumento (to uphold an hypothesis or argument), sostener a una familia (to support a family). Sostenerse can mean to stand on one’s own or to rely on something: La empresa se sostiene gracias a su innovación, Ella se sostiene con esfuerzo.

Related forms include sostén (support or aid), sostenimiento (maintenance or sustenance), and sostenido (sustained). Synonyms you may encounter are mantener, apoyar y soportar, each with nuanced meaning.