sustentan

Sustentan is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Spanish verb sustentar, meaning they sustain or they support. It is used when referring to multiple subjects that provide support or uphold something, whether physical, conceptual, or financial.

The verb sustentar comes from Latin sustentare, which in turn relates to sustinere or sustentare, with the sense of holding up or maintaining. In Spanish, sustentar is a regular -ar verb, following the standard present-tense endings: sustento, sustentas, sustenta, sustentamos, sustentáis, sustentan. Therefore, sustentan corresponds to the “they” or “you all” form in the present tense.

Grammatically, sustentan can be used in a wide range of contexts. It can describe literal support, such as architectural or structural stability, as well as more abstract support, such as evidence, arguments, or institutions. It is common in formal, academic, and journalistic writing to express that a claim or hypothesis is supported by data or reasoning.

Examples include: “Los cimientos sustentan la estructura,” meaning the foundations support the structure; and “Las pruebas sustentan la hipótesis,” meaning the evidence supports the hypothesis. Distinctions with related verbs like sostener or apoyar depend on nuance: sostener often emphasizes bearing weight or continuing, while sustentar emphasizes maintaining or validating over time.

See also: sustentar, sustento, sostenimiento, sostener.