retenir
retain
The French word 'retenir' is a versatile verb used to express the concept of retaining or holding something. It can be used in various contexts such as retaining information, retaining someone's attention, or retaining a liquid. For example, 'Je dois retenir ces informations pour l'examen' translates to 'I need to retain this information for the exam'. It is also used in the phrase 'retenir son souffle', which means 'to hold one's breath'.
Example sentences using: retenir
Il est difficile de retenir toutes ces informations.
It is difficult to retain all this information.
This sentence uses 'retenir' in the sense of remembering or keeping in mind. It's often used when there is a lot of information to remember.
Vous devez retenir votre respiration sous l'eau.
You must hold your breath underwater.
In this instance, 'retenir' is used to mean 'hold' as in 'hold your breath'. This is a physical action, not a mental one like the previous example.
Elle a du mal à retenir ses larmes.
She has trouble holding back her tears.
In this sentence, 'retenir' is used to mean 'hold back' or 'suppress', in the context of emotions. Unlike the first example, this conveys an emotional struggle rather than a cognitive one.