Also means
to hold back
Usage Note
Contener is conjugated exactly like tener (irregular): contengo, contienes, contiene… and preterite contuve, contuviste…. It is used for physical containment (el bote contiene agua) and emotional restraint (contenerse = to hold oneself back, to restrain oneself). The related noun is contenido (contents, content).
Examples
"La caja contiene varios documentos importantes."
Natural Translation
The box contains several important documents.
Related Words
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