hélt

Hält is the third-person singular present tense form of the German verb halten. In everyday use it translates roughly as “he holds,” “she holds,” or “it holds,” but the exact meaning depends on the context. The verb can express physical holding, keeping or retaining something, stopping a movement or a vehicle, or maintaining a state, rule, or belief.

Etymology and related forms: halten is a long-established Germanic verb with cognates in other Germanic languages, such as Dutch houden and English hold. Its development goes back to Old High German haltan and Proto-Germanic roots. The verb forms a variety of tenses and has a rich family of related expressions.

Forms and usage: In present tense, halten inflects as ich halte, du hältst, er hält, wir halten, ihr haltet, sie halten. The past participle is gehalten, and the simple past is hielt. German uses several compound verbs with prefixes built on halten, and in the present tense the prefix is often separated: er hält an, er hält fest, er hält durch, er hält auf. Examples include Der Bus hält an der Haltestelle (The bus stops at the stop), Er hält fest an seinem Plan (He sticks to his plan), and Wir halten durch (We will persevere).

Notes: halten is a versatile verb with numerous idiomatic expressions and fixed phrases. Its usage covers physical, temporal, and abstract senses, and it provides the basis for many compound verbs such as festhalten (to retain or insist), anhalten (to stop), durchhalten (to endure), and aufhalten (to delay or to occupy).