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contenir

to contain, to hold

verb kohn-tuh-NEER Less Common

Also means

to restrain

Usage Note

contenir follows the same conjugation pattern as tenir — an irregular verb. Se contenir means 'to restrain oneself' or 'to keep one's emotions in check'. The noun le contenu ('content', 'contents') is derived from this verb.

Examples

"Ce verre contient un litre d'eau."

Natural Translation

This glass holds one litre of water.

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