festhalten

Festhalten is a German verb with several related meanings centered on the idea of holding or keeping something firm. The core sense is physical grasp—holding on to an object or standing securely. It also covers figurative uses such as retaining information, persisting with a plan or belief, and recording or documenting events or statements. The term can extend to capturing moments in photography or film, as in “den Augenblick festhalten,” and to detaining someone in a legal or police context when someone is being held.

In practical usage, festhalten appears in several common phrases. With physical grip: “Er hielt sich am Geländer fest.” With retention or documentation: “Ich halte die Notizen fest” or “Die Vereinbarung wird festgehalten.” With sticking to a course of action: “Sie hält an ihrem Plan fest.” With capturing a moment: “Der Moment wurde festgehalten.” In a legal context, one may hear “Der Verdächtige wird festgehalten.” These senses share the thread of keeping, preserving, or securing something in place or record.

Grammatically, festhalten is a separable verb. In present tense forms you say, for example, “ich halte fest” or “er hält fest” and you can add a prepositional object such as “am Plan” or “an der Vereinbarung.” The past participle is festgehalten and is used with haben, for instance: “Ich habe die Notiz festgehalten.” As a noun, Festhalten can denote the act of retaining, or a written record or keeping of something.