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maintenir

to maintain, to keep up

verb mahn-tuh-NEER Less Common
Descriptions & Qualities Conditions

Also means

to claim, to assert

Usage Note

Maintenir conjugates like tenir and can mean both physically keeping something in place and asserting a position ('il maintient son innocence' - 'he maintains his innocence'). The reflexive se maintenir means to hold steady or to keep going, often used for health: elle se maintient bien ('she's holding up well').

Examples

"Il faut maintenir l'ordre dans la salle."

Natural Translation

We must maintain order in the room.

Literal Translation

It-is-necessary to-maintain order in the room

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