fest|halten
Translation
to hold tight, to record, to detain, to capture
Examples
Er hat meine Hand festgehalten.
He held my hand tight.
Die Idee wurde im Protokoll festgehalten.
The idea was recorded in the minutes.
Die Polizei hat den Dieb festgehalten.
The police detained the thief.
Grammar Patterns
((j-n/et4)) festhalten to hold sb./sth. tight Er hat meine Hand festgehalten.
((et4)) festhalten to record sth. Die Idee wurde im Protokoll festgehalten.
((an+3)) festhalten to adhere to sth. Er hält an seinem Plan fest.
Similar Words
Synonyms: umklammern (to clutch), notieren (to jot down), arretieren (to arrest); Antonyms: loslassen (to release)
Etymology
Composed of 'fest' (firmly) and 'halten' (to hold). Its literal meaning is 'to hold firmly'.
Memory Tips
Think of 'holding fast'. You can hold a person fast, or hold fast to a belief. The German verb covers these meanings.