tense

English

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• enPR: tĕns, IPA: /tɛns/, SAMPA: /tEns/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛns

Etymology 1

From Old French tens (modern French temps), from Latin tempus.

Noun

tense (plural tenses)

1. (grammar) Any of the forms of a verb which distinguish when an action or state of being occurs or exists.

   The basic tenses in English are present, past, and future.

Derived terms

• tensal

Translations

verb forms distinguishing time

Afrikaans: tyd, tempus Arabic: صيغة (ṣīġa) f., صيغة الفعل (ṣīġatu 'l-fiʻl) f. Chinese: Mandarin: 時態 (cmn), 时态 (cmn) (shítài), 時制 (cmn), 时制 (cmn) (shízhì) Czech: čas (cs) m. Dutch: tijd (nl) m., tempus (nl) n. Estonian: ajavorm (et), aeg (et), tempus (et) Finnish: aikaluokka (fi), aikamuoto (fi), tempus (fi) French: temps (fr) m. German: Zeit (de) f.

Greek: χρόνος (el) (chrónos) m. Icelandic: tíð (is) f. Italian: tempo (it) m. Japanese: 時制 (じせい, jisei) Latin: tempus (la) n. Macedonian: време (mk) (vréme) n. Polish: czas (pl) m. Russian: время (ru) (vrémja) n. Spanish: tiempo (es) m. Swedish: tempus (sv) n. Turkish: zaman (tr)

Etymology 2

From Latin tensus, past participle of tendere (“stretch”).

Adjective

tense (comparative tenser, superlative tensest)

1. Showing signs of stress or strain; not relaxed.

   You need to relax, all this overtime and stress is making you tense.

2. Pulled taut, without any slack.

Derived terms

• hypertense

Translations

showing stress or strain

Afrikaans: gespanne, styf Czech: napjatý (cs) m. Dutch: gespannen (nl), strak (nl) Estonian: pingne (et), pinev (et) Finnish: kireä (fi), jännittynyt (fi), hermostunut (fi) French: tendu (fr)

Greek: τεταμένος (el) (tetaménos) m. Hungarian: feszült (hu) Icelandic: upptrekktur (is), órólegur (is) Macedonian: напнат (mk) (nápnat) Spanish: tenso (es) Swedish: spänd (sv)

pulled taut

Estonian: pinguletõmmatud (et) Finnish: kireä (fi), jännitetty (fi)

Greek: τεντωμένος (el) (tentoménos) m.

Verb

tense (third-person singular simple present tenses, present participle tensing, simple past and past participle tensed)

1. To make or become tense.

Translations

make or become tense

Czech: napnout (cs) Dutch: spannen (nl), opspannen (nl)

Estonian: pinguldama (et), pingulduma (et) Finnish: jännittää (fi) (make tense), jännittyä (fi) (become tense)

Anagrams

• Enets
• sente
• teens

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Latin

Participle

tense

1. vocative masculine singular of tensus

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Spanish

Verb

tense (infinitive tensar)

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of tensar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of tensar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of tensar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of tensar.