La Palabra del Día: "retener"
retener ( rre-teh-ner' )
verb ( to keep, to retain )
Francobollo is the official corrector for the Spanish sentences. Please correct your posts according to his suggestions. There are many native English speakers here, most of us can offer great suggestions to the English sentences. I will do my best to go through them all, too. Use today's Word of the Day in your own Spanish sentence (and include the English translation as well). Try to use the word in a completely new way and vote on the sentences you like best. The winner will be chosen based upon the correct use of the word as well as the number of votes.
Guidelines:
Write sentences at least 5 words long, but don't write a paragraph either. Write your Spanish sentence, but include the English translation as well. Make the corrections suggested by other users and moderators in the comments section (try not to use personal pronouns unless absolutely necessary). Use your own words! (Don't use a translator, copy from a book, use song lyrics, etc.) Have fun experimenting with Spanish.
Examples:
1. Yo retengo diez por ciento de mi sueldo mensual para mis ahorros.
I retain ten percent of my monthly paycheck for my savings.
2. Ramón insistió en ver a Claudia de nuevo, pero tras ella rechazarlo varias veces, él tomó la decisión de parar de perseguirla y retener lo que le quedaba de dignidad.
Ramón insisted on seeing Claudia again, but after she rejected him many times, he finally decided to stop pursuing her and retain what little was left of his dignity.
Notes:
The 2nd example sentence is part of our special new Word of the Day "novela" series. Check it out from the beginning on December 1 and stay tuned tomorrow for the next chapter!
13 Answers
Esta flor retiene la humedad para el crecimiento.
This flower retains moisture for growth.
Los niños son capaces de retener uno o varios idiomas sin dificultad.
Children are capable of retaining one or several languages with such ease.
Los pollos que estaban cruzando la carretera, estaban reteniendo el tráfico.
The chickens that were crossing the road, were holding up the traffic.
A la panadera le gustaría retener uno de estos pastelitos porque quiere mostrárselo a su instructor. Está tan orgullosa de ellos.
The baker would like to retain one of these cupcakes because she wants to show it to her instructor. She's so proud of them.
To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it. (Mother Teresa).
Para retener la luz de una lámpara encendida que tenemos poner aceite en ella.
I wish my mind could retain all I read. As it is, I have trouble keeping track of the basics.
Ojalá que mi mente pudiera retener todo lo que leo. En realidad, me cuesta recordarme de lo esencial.
Ay! si pudiera retener como antes los acontecimientos de la vida. Lamentablemente la memoria ahora falla.
Oh dear! If only I could remember all the little happenings of life as I used to do. Sadly memory fails me now.
Espero que no vayamos a saltar del acantilado fiscal el primero de enero, porque quiero retener la tarifa de impuestos que tenemos actualmente.
I hope that we won't jump off the fiscal cliff on January first, because I want to retain the tax rate that we currently have.
Trato a retener en mi cabeza las palabras del día pero a veces me falla la memoria.
I try to retain in my head the words of the day but sometimes my memory fails me.
To retain water for survival, many people around the world catch rainwater in a tank on their roof.
Para retener agua para sobrevivir, mucha gente alrededor del mundo recoge captura agua de lluvia en un tanque en sus techos.
Un truco que uso para retener los nombres de gente con la que me reúno pocas veces es a relacionar su cara o nombre con un objecto o animal.
One trick that I use to remember the names of people that I meet rarely is to associate their face or name with an object or animal
Es probable que Messi retenga el Balón de Oro este año.
It's likely that Messi will retain the Balon d'Or this year.
Cuando los retenes son demasiado viejos, no retienen el aceite en el interior de las horquillas.
When the seals are too old, they don't keep the oil inside of the forks.
Luego necesitas una mecanica.
