Onthouden

Onthouden is a Dutch verb with several related meanings. The most common sense is to remember or keep something in one’s memory. It is used when someone aims to recall a fact, instruction, or detail. For example, one might say “Ik zal het onthouden,” meaning “I will remember that.” The word can be used with a direct object, as in “Ik moet dit onthouden” (I must remember this). In cognitive science and education, onthouden refers to memory processes such as encoding, storage, and retrieval, and it is closely related to herinneren, which also means to recall.

A second sense is reflexive or pronominal and means to refrain from doing something or to abstain. In this use, one speaks of “zich onthouden van iets,” meaning to refrain from something (for example, “zich onthouden van snoepen”).

Etymology: onthouden is formed from on- (a negating or privative prefix) and houden (to hold or keep). Historically, the sense of withholding or withholding memory influenced its modern meanings, which have since diverged into memory and abstinence.

Related terms include herinneren (to recall), geheugen (memory), and onthouding (abstinence or restraint). In everyday language, onthouden is a versatile verb used in both personal memory and self-restraint contexts, as well as in academic or professional discussions of memory processes and study techniques.