tenere
hold
The Italian word 'tenere' refers to 'hold' in English. It is often used to indicate holding or keeping something physically in one's hands, or metaphorically, to mean retain or maintain a particular state or condition.
Example sentences using: tenere
Devi tenere la penna correttamente quando scrivi
You must hold the pen correctly when you write
This sentence uses 'tenere' in the sense of 'to hold'. It is instructing that to write properly, one must hold the pen in the correct manner.
Puoi tenere un segreto?
Can you keep a secret?
In this example, 'tenere' is used in the context of 'to keep'. This phrase is a question asking if the person can maintain the confidentiality of a secret.
Devo tenere a mente questa regola
I have to keep this rule in mind
Here, 'tenere' is used metaphorically to mean 'to keep or bear in mind'. This signifies the need to remember or constantly be aware of a specific rule.