Quedarse con vs. guardar vs. mantener vs. retener vs. conservar
The English concept of keeping, retaining, or holding on to something covers a wide variety of situations. In Spanish, however, you must choose between different verbs depending on the specific context of the action. The words quedarse con, guardar, mantener, retener, and conservar all relate to this concept, but they divide the meaning into distinct categories: deciding to take possession of an object, safely storing something away, sustaining a specific state or condition, withholding something, or preserving an item over time.
Quedarse con
B1This verb is used when to keep means to take possession of something, to choose an item over others, or to hold on to something instead of returning it.
Quédate con el cambio porque el servicio fue excelente.
(Keep the change because the service was excellent.)
Me voy a quedar con los zapatos rojos en lugar de los negros.
(I am going to keep the red shoes instead of the black ones.)
Mi hermano se quedó con mi libro favorito prestado.
(My brother kept my favorite borrowed book.)
Si nadie reclama este paraguas, me quedaré con él.
(If no one claims this umbrella, I will keep it.)
Guardar
A2You should use guardar when keeping means to store something, to put it away in a safe place for later use, or to keep a secret.
Por favor, guarda la leche en la nevera cuando termines.
(Please keep the milk in the fridge when you finish.)
Ellos guardan sus documentos importantes en una caja fuerte.
(They keep their important documents in a safe.)
Te prometo que puedo guardar tu secreto para siempre.
(I promise that I can keep your secret forever.)
Guarda estos juguetes en el armario antes de dormir.
(Keep these toys in the closet before going to sleep.)
Mantener
B1This verb translates to keeping in the sense of maintaining a specific state, holding a condition steady, or financially supporting someone.
Es muy importante mantener la calma durante una emergencia.
(It is very important to keep calm during an emergency.)
Ella corre todos los días para mantener su buena salud.
(She runs every day to keep her good health.)
Mantén los ojos cerrados hasta que cuente hasta diez.
(Keep your eyes closed until I count to ten.)
Trabaja dos turnos para poder mantener a su familia.
(He works two shifts to be able to keep his family.)
Retener
B2The word retener is used when keeping means holding something or someone back, withholding a portion of something, or having the capacity to hold biological elements like water or information.
La empresa retiene una parte de tu salario para pagar los impuestos correspondientes.
(The company keeps a portion of your salary to pay the corresponding taxes.)
Este tipo de tierra retiene mucha humedad durante el invierno.
(This type of soil keeps a lot of moisture during the winter.)
La policía lo retuvo en la estación para hacerle unas preguntas.
(The police kept him at the station to ask him some questions.)
El estudiante tiene la habilidad de retener mucha información rápidamente.
(The student has the ability to keep a lot of information quickly.)
Conservar
B2You should use conservar when keeping means preserving something over time, holding on to something for sentimental reasons, or keeping something in good condition.
Necesitas conservar el recibo si quieres devolver la camisa mañana.
(You need to keep the receipt if you want to return the shirt tomorrow.)
Mi abuela todavía conserva las cartas de amor de mi abuelo.
(My grandmother still keeps my grandfather's love letters.)
El museo gasta mucho dinero para conservar las pinturas antiguas.
(The museum spends a lot of money to keep the ancient paintings.)
A pesar de los años, el edificio conserva su diseño original.
(Despite the years, the building keeps its original design.)
Summary
To choose the correct Spanish verb, you must focus on the intention behind the action. Use quedarse con for choosing or taking possession of an item, guardar for physically storing something away or keeping a secret, mantener for sustaining a physical, emotional or financial state, retener for withholding something or holding it back, and conservar to preserve something in a good condition over a long period of time.