Tenir is definitely the most common and versatile way to say “to hold” in French. But as you dive deeper into the language, you’ll discover that there are many other options. Whether you're holding a hand, holding a belief, or holding an object, the French language offers a variety of ways to express this fundamental action. Let’s look at 9 common ways to say “to hold” (and, sometimes, more than just "to hold") in French!

The general 'to hold' (in hand, a position, an opinion) – tenir

The general 'to hold' (in hand, a position, an opinion) – tenir

Tenir is one of the most versatile and frequently used verbs in French, primarily meaning "to hold" or "to keep."

Its most direct translation is "to hold" or "to keep" something physically in one's hand or possession. For example, holding a book, a child's hand, or a door.

Beyond physical possession, tenir extends to more abstract concepts. It can mean "to hold a position" (e.g., in a job or a race), "to hold an opinion," or "to keep a promise."

This verb also forms the basis of many common idiomatic expressions, such as tenir à (to be keen on, to care about) or se tenir (to stand, to behave).

Tenir is an irregular -ir verb, so its conjugation requires memorization, but its widespread use makes this effort worthwhile for any French learner.

Mastering tenir will significantly expand your ability to express a wide range of actions and concepts in French, from simple physical acts to complex opinions and commitments.

💡 * Je tiens un livre. (I am holding a book.)

• Elle tient sa promesse. (She keeps her promise.)
• Nous tenons à nos amis. (We care about our friends.)
• Il tient une place importante dans l'équipe. (He holds an important position in the team.)
• Tiens bon ! (Hold on! / Hang in there!)

The 'to hold tightly' or 'to squeeze' – serrer

The “to hold tightly” or “to squeeze” – serrer

The verb serrer in French translates primarily to "to hold tightly," "to squeeze," or "to grip."

At its heart, serrer implies applying pressure or force to something, making it firm, compact, or secure. It's about bringing things closer together or making a hold more secure.

You'll often hear serrer when someone is holding an object or another person with considerable force, indicating a firm grasp or embrace. Think of clutching something precious or holding someone close.

It also describes the action of compressing or squeezing. This could be squeezing a fruit to check its ripeness, or tightening a knot or a screw to ensure it's secure.

One of its most common uses is in the expression serrer la main (to shake hands), where the hand is briefly gripped. Another is serrer les dents (to grit one's teeth), implying resolve or enduring pain.

Unlike tenir (to hold), serrer always carries the connotation of intensity, tightness, or a deliberate application of pressure. There's always a sense of 'firmness' involved.

💡 *Je serre la main de mon ami. (I shake my friend's hand.)
*Il serre fort le volant. (He grips the steering wheel tightly.)
*Elle a serré le fruit pour voir s'il était mûr. (She squeezed the fruit to see if it was ripe.)
*Serrez la vis pour qu'elle ne bouge pas. (Tighten the screw so it doesn't move.)
*Il faut serrer les dents et continuer. (You have to grit your teeth and continue.)

The 'to hold back' or 'to restrain' – retenir

The French verb retenir is a versatile verb primarily meaning 'to hold back' or 'to restrain'. It's derived from the verb tenir (to hold), with the prefix re- indicating repetition or backward action.

Its most direct translations are 'to hold back,' 'to retain,' or 'to restrain.' This can apply to physical objects, emotions, or even people. Think of it as preventing something from moving forward or escaping.

Beyond physical restraint, retenir also commonly means 'to remember' or 'to retain' information. This is a crucial meaning for learners, as it's often used when talking about memorization or recalling facts.

Like other verbs ending in -tenir (e.g., maintenir, obtenir), retenir is an irregular verb and conjugates similarly to tenir. It's important to learn its specific conjugations, especially in common tenses.

You might use retenir when someone is holding back tears, restraining an animal, or retaining water. It implies a force or action to keep something in place or prevent its release.

When referring to memory, you would use retenir to say you remember a name, a lesson, or a date. For instance, 'J'ai du mal à retenir les noms' means 'I have trouble remembering names.'

💡 * Il a retenu ses larmes. (He held back his tears.)

• J'ai du mal à retenir toutes ces informations. (I have trouble retaining all this information.)
• Elle a retenu sa respiration sous l'eau. (She held her breath underwater.)
• La police l'a retenu pour interrogatoire. (The police held him for questioning.)
• Ce pull retient bien la chaleur. (This sweater retains heat well.)

The 'to hold onto' or 'to cling to' – s'accrocher à

The verb s'accrocher à is a versatile French expression that primarily means 'to hold onto', 'to cling to', or 'to hang onto'.

This reflexive verb is used for both physical actions, like gripping something tightly, and figurative concepts, such as persevering or clinging to an idea or hope.

Commonly encountered in situations requiring physical support (e.g., s'accrocher à une corde - 'to cling to a rope') or mental fortitude (e.g., s'accrocher à ses rêves - 'to cling to one's dreams').

Being a reflexive verb, s'accrocher à always requires a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) and is conjugated with the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses.

💡 * Il s'accroche à la rampe pour ne pas tomber. (He's holding onto the railing so he doesn't fall.)

• Elle s'accroche à l'espoir de le revoir. (She clings to the hope of seeing him again.)
• Accroche-toi bien ! (Hold on tight!)
• Nous nous sommes accrochés à cette idée malgré les difficultés. (We clung to this idea despite the difficulties.)

The 'to hold up' or 'to support' – soutenir

The French verb soutenir translates most commonly to 'to hold up' or 'to support' in English. It's a versatile verb with both literal and figurative uses.

Beyond physical support, soutenir encompasses various forms of backing: emotional comfort, financial aid, intellectual advocacy, or even maintaining an argument or position.

Soutenir is an irregular -ir verb that follows the conjugation pattern of tenir ('to hold'). This means its stem changes in certain tenses, making it important to learn its specific forms.

In a physical sense, you might use soutenir to describe holding up a heavy object, supporting a structure, or even propping up someone who is weak or ill. Think of it as providing physical stability.

More abstractly, it's used when offering emotional encouragement, standing by someone during a difficult time, or providing financial assistance. It also means to defend or uphold an idea or a cause.

Understanding the broad scope of soutenir is crucial for expressing comprehensive ideas of support, whether tangible or intangible, in French.

💡 * Elle soutient la poutre pour qu'elle ne tombe pas. (She is holding up the beam so it doesn't fall.)

• Mes amis m'ont toujours soutenu dans mes projets. (My friends have always supported me in my projects.)
• Il est difficile de soutenir une telle charge. (It's difficult to hold up such a load.)
• Nous devons soutenir les arts locaux. (We must support local arts.)
• Je soutiens que cette solution est la meilleure. (I maintain that this solution is the best one.)

The 'to hold a position' or 'to occupy' – occuper

The verb occuper in French primarily translates to 'to occupy' or 'to hold a position'. It's a regular -ER verb, making its conjugation relatively straightforward for learners.

When referring to physical space, occuper means to take up or fill a place. For instance, a person might occuper une chaise (occupy a chair) or a building might occuper un terrain (occupy a piece of land). It also applies to time, as in occuper son temps (to occupy one's time) or occuper ses pensées (to occupy one's thoughts).

In a professional context, occuper signifies 'to hold a position' or 'to fill a role'. You might hear Il occupe un poste important dans l'entreprise (He holds an important position in the company) or Elle occupe la fonction de directrice (She holds the role of director). This usage emphasizes responsibility and tenure.

A crucial derivative is the reflexive form, s'occuper de, which means 'to take care of', 'to deal with', or 'to be busy with'. For example, Je m'occupe des enfants (I'm taking care of the children) or Je m'occupe de ce dossier (I'm dealing with this file). This form is very common and essential to master.

Occuper is a highly versatile verb, moving from literal occupation of space to abstract occupation of a role or mind, and even extending to the act of caring for something or someone with s'occuper de. Understanding its different nuances is key to fluent French.

💡 * J'occupe la chambre du fond. (I'm occupying the back room.)

• Elle occupe un poste clé dans l'organisation. (She holds a key position in the organization.)
• Qu'est-ce qui occupe tes pensées ? (What's occupying your thoughts?)
• Ne t'inquiète pas, je m'occupe de tout. (Don't worry, I'll take care of everything.)
• Il s'occupe de ses plantes tous les jours. (He takes care of his plants every day.)

The 'to hold a record' or 'to possess' – détenir

The verb détenir translates to 'to hold', 'to possess', or 'to detain'. While it shares some meaning with tenir (to hold) and posséder (to possess), détenir often implies a more formal, official, or even legal context of possession or holding.

One common and important use of détenir is in the context of 'holding a record' (e.g., a world record). It's also frequently used to describe holding power, authority, or important information, suggesting a strong or official grip on something. For instance, a government détient power, or a person détient crucial documents.

Beyond records and authority, détenir can also mean 'to detain' someone, particularly in a legal or police context. This highlights its more formal and sometimes restrictive connotation compared to simply tenir something in one's hand. It implies a state of being held or possessed, often with significant implications.

💡 * Il détient le record du monde du 100 mètres. (He holds the world record for the 100 meters.)

• Le musée détient une collection rare d'œuvres d'art. (The museum possesses a rare collection of artworks.)
• La police a détenu le suspect pendant 24 heures. (The police detained the suspect for 24 hours.)
• Qui détient le pouvoir dans ce pays? (Who holds the power in this country?)
• Elle détient des informations cruciales pour l'enquête. (She possesses crucial information for the investigation.)

The 'to hold an event' or 'to organize' – organiser

The French verb organiser directly translates to “to organize” or “to arrange” in English. It's a highly versatile and frequently used verb, essential for discussing planning and structuring various activities and objects.

One of its most common applications is in the context of events. When you want to say “to hold an event,” “to plan a party,” or “to arrange a meeting,” organiser is the go-to verb. It implies the entire process of preparation and execution.

Beyond events, organiser is used for a wide range of organizational tasks. You can use it to talk about organizing objects (like your desk or files), ideas, information, or even people (like a team or a group). It's about bringing order or structure to something.

💡 * Nous allons organiser une fête pour son anniversaire. (We are going to organize a party for his birthday.)

• Il doit organiser une réunion demain matin. (He needs to organize a meeting tomorrow morning.)
• J'ai besoin d'organiser mes papiers et mes dossiers. (I need to organize my papers and my files.)
• Elle essaie d'organiser ses idées pour son discours. (She is trying to organize her ideas for her speech.)

The 'to hold in one's arms' or 'to hug' – prendre dans ses bras

The French phrase prendre dans ses bras directly translates to 'to take/hold in one's arms,' and it is the most common way to express 'to hug' or 'to embrace' someone in French.

While its literal meaning is 'to take in one's arms,' prendre dans ses bras is widely used idiomatically to signify the act of hugging, conveying warmth and affection. The context usually makes it clear whether a literal or figurative interpretation is intended.

The core verb in this expression is prendre (to take), which is an irregular -RE verb. You will need to conjugate prendre according to the subject and tense. For instance, 'I hug' would be je prends dans mes bras, 'he hugged' would be il a pris dans ses bras, and 'we will hug' would be nous prendrons dans nos bras.

This phrase is versatile and can be used in various situations, from comforting a child to greeting a loved one. It emphasizes the physical act of embracing and the emotional connection it conveys. It's a fundamental expression for showing affection and can be used formally or informally, depending on the relationship and context.

💡 * Elle a pris son enfant dans ses bras pour le consoler. (She took her child in her arms to comfort him.)* Quand je l'ai vue, je l'ai tout de suite prise dans mes bras. (When I saw her, I immediately hugged her.)* Il aime prendre sa petite amie dans ses bras. (He likes to hug his girlfriend.)* N'hésite pas à me prendre dans tes bras si tu as besoin de réconfort. (Don't hesitate to hug me if you need comfort.)* Nous nous sommes pris dans les bras après tant d'années. (We hugged each other after so many years.)

Are there other ways to say 'to hold' in French?

Are there other ways to say “to hold” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “to hold” in French, covering various contexts like holding an object, holding someone's hand, or holding a belief. But there are other terms, from old-fashioned ones, to regional ones, to up-and-coming slang ones this middle-aged author might not even be aware of!

You can also do an online search for “comment dire tenir en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local idioms and expressions.

You might find some interesting synonyms for tenir or other verbs related to 'to hold' on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about holding, keeping, or maintaining.

And if you’re looking for ways to talk about different kinds of 'holding' actions, or words related to the concept of holding in French, the WordReference entry for tenir is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful in understanding the nuances of 'to hold' in French. Here’s what I think is a perfect quote to finish it with, courtesy of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. (One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye.)