Unit 11: Introduction to the subjunctive, commands, translation considerations (part 2)
You have already seen verbs such as mantener and detener, which have as their root tener, and suponer, which has as its root poner. Many such verbs exist and they almost always have the same irregularities as those seen in the “root” verbs. Once you know the meaning of these verbs, which at times may be logically deduced, they present no general comprehension problems, provided you recognize the irregularities of the root verb.
Although some of these are not truly compound verbs, the groupings below are meant to facilitate recognition of as many verbs as possible:
| abstenerse (de) |
to abstain (from) |
| contener |
to contain |
| detener |
to detain, to arrest |
| entretener |
to entertain |
| mantener |
to maintain, to keep, to support financially |
| retener |
to retain |
| sostener |
to sustain, to support |
| componer |
to compose |
| deponer |
to depose |
| descomponer |
to decompose, to break down |
| imponer |
to impose |
| oponer |
to oppose (oponerse a– to be opposed to) |
| proponer |
to propose |
| yuxtaponer |
to juxtapose |
Other verbs ending in –poner but which have a different ending in English include posponer (“to postpone”) and reponer (“to replace”).
| atraer |
to attract |
| contraer |
to contract |
| distraer |
to distract |
| extraer |
to extract |
| sustraer |
to subtract, to take away, to remove |
| conducir |
to conduct, to drive |
| deducir |
to deduce |
| inducir |
to induce |
| introducir |
to introduce |
| producir |
to produce |
| reducir |
to reduce |
| seducir |
to seduce |
One verb you have already seen but which has a different ending in English is traducir, “to translate.”
| bendecir |
to bless |
| contradecir |
to contradict |
| maldecir |
to curse, to slander, to speak ill of |
| predecir |
to predict, to forecast |
| convenir |
to be suitable/ appropriate, suit; to convene, to agree |
| intervenir |
to intervene |
| prevenir |
to prevent, to warn, to forestall |
| provenir |
to come from, to originate |
| describir |
to describe |
| inscribir |
to inscribe, to enroll |
| prescribir |
to prescribe |
| proscribir |
to proscribe, to prohibit |
| suscribir |
to subscribe |
| prever |
to forsee |
| rever |
to revise, to look over, to review |
| deshacer |
to undo |
| contrahacer |
to imitate, to copy, to counterfeit |
| satisfacer |
to satisfy |
| devolver |
to return (something) |
| envolver |
to wrap, to pack |
| despedir(se) |
to dismiss, to fire (to take leave of, to say good-bye to) |
| impedir |
to stop, to impede, to prevent |
| sobresalir |
to stand out, to excel, to jut out |
