Meaning
To remain focused on what you want.
Cultural Background
The concept of 'Sisu' is deeply embedded in this phrase. Finns value the 'silent struggle'—working toward a goal without making a fuss about it. In Finnish companies, 'pitää kiinni tavoitteista' is often linked to 'luottamus' (trust). If you don't stick to your goals, you may lose the trust of your colleagues. Finnish athletes often use this phrase when talking about the long, dark training months. It's about the discipline of the routine. Finnish schools emphasize self-regulation. Students are taught from a young age to set and 'hold onto' their own learning goals.
Use with Possessive Suffixes
To sound more native, add a possessive suffix: 'tavoitteistaNI' (my goals), 'tavoitteistaSI' (your goals).
Case Sensitivity
Never use the partitive 'tavoitteita' with 'pitää kiinni'. It's a common B1-level exam trap!
Meaning
To remain focused on what you want.
Use with Possessive Suffixes
To sound more native, add a possessive suffix: 'tavoitteistaNI' (my goals), 'tavoitteistaSI' (your goals).
Case Sensitivity
Never use the partitive 'tavoitteita' with 'pitää kiinni'. It's a common B1-level exam trap!
The Sisu Connection
Mentioning 'sisu' when using this phrase in a speech will make you sound very culturally aware.
Test Yourself
Täytä tyhjä kohta oikealla muodolla sanasta 'tavoite'.
On tärkeää pitää kiinni ______.
Lause 'pitää kiinni' vaatii elatiivin (-sta).
Mikä lause on oikein?
Valitse kieliopillisesti oikea lause.
Finnish verb 'pitää kiinni' governs the elative case.
Täytä dialogi sopivalla ilmauksella.
A: 'En jaksa enää opiskella.' B: 'Älä luovuta! Sinun täytyy ______.'
This is the most natural way to encourage someone to persist.
Yhdistä tilanne ja lause.
Tilanne: Työpaikan kehityskeskustelu.
This option uses the appropriate formal register for a workplace discussion.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesOn tärkeää pitää kiinni ______.
Lause 'pitää kiinni' vaatii elatiivin (-sta).
Valitse kieliopillisesti oikea lause.
Finnish verb 'pitää kiinni' governs the elative case.
A: 'En jaksa enää opiskella.' B: 'Älä luovuta! Sinun täytyy ______.'
This is the most natural way to encourage someone to persist.
Tilanne: Työpaikan kehityskeskustelu.
This option uses the appropriate formal register for a workplace discussion.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, 'pitää kiinni jostakusta' means to hold onto someone physically or emotionally, but 'pitää kiinni tavoitteista' is specifically for goals.
'Tavoitteesta' is singular (one goal), 'tavoitteista' is plural (multiple goals). Plural is more common.
No, it's perfectly fine for friends, especially when giving encouragement.
The most common opposite is 'luovuttaa' (to give up) or 'päästää irti tavoitteista' (to let go of goals).
No. While 'pitää' can mean 'to like' (pitää jostakin), in this context with 'kiinni', it means 'to hold'.
Yes! 'Holding onto dreams' is a very common and beautiful variation.
'Kiinni' is an adverb and doesn't change its form in this phrase.
You say: 'En pysty pitämään kiinni tavoitteistani.'
Yes, it is very common in annual reports to describe meeting strategic targets.
'Pitää kiinni' implies more active effort and 'grip', while 'pysyä' is more about staying on a path.
Related Phrases
pysyä suunnitelmassa
similarTo stay in the plan
saavuttaa tavoitteet
builds onTo achieve goals
luovuttaa
contrastTo give up
tinkiä tavoitteista
contrastTo compromise on goals
