contain
The Italian verb contenere means 'to contain' in English.
verb
Meaning: to contain, to hold
La bottiglia contiene un litro d'acqua.
The bottle contains one liter of water.
Meaning: to include, to comprise
Il menu contiene molti piatti tipici della regione.
The menu includes many typical dishes from the region.
Meaning: to restrain, to control
Devo contenere la mia rabbia per non fare una scenata.
I need to restrain my anger to avoid causing a scene.
Meaning: to limit, to confine
Dobbiamo contenere i costi per rimanere nei limiti del budget.
We need to limit costs to stay within the budget.
A1: Questo bicchiere contiene acqua.
This glass contains water.
A2: La scatola contiene cioccolatini.
The box contains chocolates.
A2: Il libro contiene molte informazioni utili.
The book contains a lot of useful information.
B1: La bottiglia conteneva vino rosso di ottima qualità.
The bottle contained excellent quality red wine.
B2: La confezione del prodotto contiene le istruzioni per l'uso.
The product packaging contains the instructions for use.
B2: Il documento che hai inviato non contiene tutte le informazioni richieste.
The document you sent does not contain all the required information.
C1: La tesi di laurea contiene una dettagliata analisi dei dati raccolti durante la ricerca.
The thesis contains a detailed analysis of the data collected during the research.
C2: Il contratto di lavoro contiene clausole molto restrittive per i dipendenti dell'azienda.
The employment contract contains very restrictive clauses for the company's employees.
C2: L'opera letteraria contiene numerosi riferimenti storici e culturali dell'epoca in cui è stata scritta.
The literary work contains numerous historical and cultural references of the time in which it was written.
Contenere is a transitive verb, which means it requires a direct object. It is often used to describe the act of holding or carrying something within a certain space or boundary. For example, 'La scatola contiene molti libri' means 'The box contains many books'. In this sentence, 'molti libri' (many books) is the direct object of the verb contenere.
In addition to physical objects, contenere can also be used to describe abstract concepts or emotions that are being contained or restrained. For instance, 'Cerco di contenere la mia rabbia' translates to 'I try to contain my anger'. Here, 'la mia rabbia' (my anger) is the direct object of the verb.
It's worth noting that contenere can also be used reflexively, as in 'Mi contengo per non piangere' ('I contain myself from crying'). In this case, the subject and the direct object are the same person.