French Conversation · Level 63
76 words
French word
retenir
Pronunciation
IPA/ʁətəniʁ/
Meaning
- verbremember
Example
Je retiens son numéro.
I remember his number.
More examples
Je retiens la date du rendez-vous.
I remember the date of the appointment.
Core concept
A piece of information held firmly in the mind so it remains available later.
Common phrases
retenir un nom
remember a name
retenir une adresse
remember an address
retenir une information
remember information
Similar words
se souvenir: To bring past events or familiar facts back to mind.
se rappeler: To distinctly recall a particular thing.
apprendre: To gain new knowledge or skills through learning.
mémoriser: To fix something in memory through repetition or careful organization.
Definition in French
Garder volontairement une information en mémoire pour pouvoir la rappeler plus tard.
Word origin
French retenir comes through Old French from Latin retinere, formed from re- 'back' and tenere 'hold', and its sense developed from holding something to keeping it in memory.
Usage tips
- Retenir takes a direct object for remembered information, as in retenir un numéro, while se souvenir takes de: se souvenir d'un numéro.