Pidätää

Pidätää is a Finnish verb that translates to "to detain," "to hold back," "to restrain," or "to keep." It is a versatile word with several applications depending on the context.

In a legal or official capacity, pidätää commonly refers to the act of detaining a person by authorities. This could be for questioning, due to suspicion of a crime, or as part of a legal process. The phrase "pidättää henkilöä" means "to detain a person."

Beyond its legal implications, pidätää can also describe the act of holding something back or preventing it from moving or progressing. For instance, one might pidätää its progress, meaning to hold back its progress. It can also be used metaphorically to describe restraining emotions or impulses, such as pidättää naurua, "to hold back laughter."

The verb is also used in the context of keeping something in one's possession or control, essentially to keep or retain. For example, "pidättää tavaraa" could mean "to keep an item." The past tense is pidätti, and the past participle is pidätetty. The infinitive form is pidättää. Understanding the nuances of pidätää requires attention to the surrounding words and the overall situation in which it is used.