retener
verbCEFR B1
What does “retener” mean in English?
to retain
to retain (information in memory over time)
Example sentences
La técnica de repetición espaciada ayuda a retener el vocabulario durante mucho más tiempo que la simple repetición masiva realizada en pocas sesiones.
The spaced repetition technique helps retain vocabulary for much longer than simple massed repetition done in a few sessions.
Es difícil retener lo que estudias si no duermes bien, porque durante el sueño el cerebro consolida los recuerdos a largo plazo.
It is hard to retain what you study if you don't sleep well, because during sleep the brain consolidates long-term memories.
Para retener mejor los tiempos verbales, el profesor nos sugirió que los practicáramos en contextos reales en lugar de aprenderlos en tablas aisladas.
To retain the verb tenses better, the teacher suggested that we practise them in real contexts rather than learning them in isolated tables.
How to use it
Retener means 'to retain' — specifically, to hold information in memory over time after the initial learning phase. It is an irregular verb (follows tener: retengo, retienes, retiene…) and is transitive. At B1 it appears in discussions about memory, study techniques, and language acquisition. It is notably more cognitive in meaning than memorizar (committing to memory) and implies durability: if you memorizaste something but don't retain it, it disappears. Common collocations: retener información, retener vocabulario, retener lo aprendido.
Common mistake
Retener is irregular: the yo form is retengo, not *retengo. Follow the full tener conjugation. Don't confuse retener with guardar (to store/keep physically) — retener is specifically cognitive memory, not physical storage.