to hold; keep in one's hand or grasp
physical holding or supporting
Ține cartea în mână.
He/She is holding the book in his/her hand.
Ține copilul de mână.
He/She is holding the child by the hand.
#161 · Verb · VERB
In Romanian, ține means “to hold; keep in one's hand or grasp”. It’s the #161 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Common Romanian verb meaning “to hold, keep, maintain, last,” depending on context. It is irregular and also appears in several fixed grammatical structures.
neutralphysical holding or supporting
He/She is holding the book in his/her hand.
He/She is holding the child by the hand.
keeping possession of something or not letting it go
I remember your number.
He/She keeps the money in the bank.
about time, weather, supplies, stamina, etc.
The party lasts until morning.
How long will the cold last?
to maintain or run something in a condition
Keep the door open.
She keeps the house clean.
often in expressions like «nu ține»
That excuse doesn't hold.
The argument doesn't stand.
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top 5 forms cover about 86% of everyday use — learn these first.
| Tense | eu | tu | el/ea | noi | voi | ei/ele |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | țin | ții | ține | ținem | țineți | țin |
| Imperfect | țineam | țineai | ținea | țineam | țineați | țineau |
| Perfect compus | am ținut | ai ținut | a ținut | am ținut | ați ținut | au ținut |
| Future | voi ține | vei ține | va ține | vom ține | veți ține | vor ține |
| Conditional | aș ține | ai ține | ar ține | am ține | ați ține | ar ține |
| Subjunctive | să țin | să ții | să țină | să ținem | să țineți | să țină |
Ține cartea în mână.
He/She is holding the book in his/her hand.
ține - present tense, 3rd person singular
Țin minte numărul tău.
I remember your number.
țin - present tense, 1st person singular
Nu ține ușa deschisă.
Don't keep the door open.
ține - negative imperative in a common everyday instruction
Common phrases built around ține — worth learning as whole units.
lit. “to hold mind” · ține minte! = remember this!; țin minte că... = I remember that...