Bedeutung
Maintaining a grip or staying firm.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Danes value 'stædighed' (stubbornness) as a survival trait against the elements, but 'vedholdenhed' (persistence) is the polite version used in professional life. The phrase is a reminder of Denmark's history as a seafaring nation where 'holding fast' was a matter of life and death. In Danish 'flexicurity' culture, holding fast to your rights as a worker is balanced with holding fast to your responsibilities. When someone is going through a hard time (divorce, illness), saying 'Hold fast' is a way of showing support without being overly intrusive.
The 'I' Rule
When in doubt, use the preposition 'i' after 'holde fast'. It works for 90% of situations.
Not for Waiting
Never use 'hold fast' to mean 'wait a minute'. You will confuse people.
Bedeutung
Maintaining a grip or staying firm.
The 'I' Rule
When in doubt, use the preposition 'i' after 'holde fast'. It works for 90% of situations.
Not for Waiting
Never use 'hold fast' to mean 'wait a minute'. You will confuse people.
Political Speak
If you want to sound like a Danish news anchor, use 'fastholde' instead of 'holde fast i'.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing words to complete the safety instruction.
Når du kører i bus, skal du ____ ____ i stangen.
You must 'hold fast' (grip) the pole for safety.
Which sentence uses the figurative meaning correctly?
Which one is correct?
While all are grammatically possible, 'beslutning' (decision) is the figurative use.
Complete the dialogue between two friends.
A: Er det svært at lære dansk? B: Ja, men jeg ____ ____!
'Holder fast' implies you are sticking with the process.
Match the Danish phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the pairs:
These show the range from physical to abstract.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Holde Fast vs. Sidde Fast
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenNår du kører i bus, skal du ____ ____ i stangen.
You must 'hold fast' (grip) the pole for safety.
Which one is correct?
While all are grammatically possible, 'beslutning' (decision) is the figurative use.
A: Er det svært at lære dansk? B: Ja, men jeg ____ ____!
'Holder fast' implies you are sticking with the process.
Ordne jedem Element links seinen Partner rechts zu:
These show the range from physical to abstract.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
14 FragenYes, 'Hold fast i din telefon' is perfectly natural if someone is about to drop it.
'I' is for physical things and habits. 'Ved' is for opinions and claims. Often they are interchangeable in casual speech.
No, but 'Hold nu kæft' (Shut up) is a common slang expression that uses 'hold'. 'Hold fast' remains literal or metaphorical for persistence.
You can say 'Hold fast!' or 'Hæng i!'. Both are encouraging.
In standard Danish, no. It is a 'stødbogstav' (silent letter).
No, you need the preposition 'i'. 'Jeg holder fast i min hund'.
'At give slip' (to let go).
Yes, very often. 'De holder fast i føringen' (They are holding onto the lead).
Yes, 'at holde fast i en person' can mean physically holding them or keeping them in your life.
Yes, but 'fastholde' is more formal. You wouldn't say 'fasthold i min hånd' to a child.
Only if shouted as a command. Otherwise, it sounds determined or helpful.
Usually, you would say 'holde på en hemmelighed', not 'holde fast i'.
Yes, many songs about love and resilience use this phrase.
The physical meaning is A1. The metaphorical and prepositional nuances are B1/B2.
Verwandte Redewendungen
at holde ud
similarTo endure or tolerate
at holde ved
synonymTo persist
at fastholde
specialized formTo maintain/assert
at give slip
contrastTo let go
at holde af
builds onTo like/love
