den Atem anhalten
to hold one's breath
Türkçe: nefesini tutmak
Not den Atem halten
English says to hold, so halten is the verb that comes to mind. German does not take it here. Atem goes with anhalten, and the pairing is fixed — it is not a rule you can work out, only one you can learn.
Watch out. Nuance: also figurative for suspense (e.g., 'Alle hielten den Atem an').
In a sentence
Which form of anhalten fills the gap?
Das kleine Mädchen ____ gespannt den Atem ____, während die Kerze ausgeblasen wird.
Show the full sentence
Das kleine Mädchen hält gespannt den Atem an, während die Kerze ausgeblasen wird.
How it is used
Means 'to hold one's breath.' Neutral register. Use underwater or during a tense movie scene. Nuance: also figurative for suspense (e.g., 'Alle hielten den Atem an').
Other verbs that go with Atem
This is the choice the collocation turns on.
- außer Atem geratento get out of breath
- außer Atem seinto be out of breath
- Atem holento catch one's breath
- den Atem raubento take one's breath away
Other collocations built on anhalten
More from Körper und Gesundheit
- die Oberhand behaltento keep the upper hand
- jdn. ins Krankenhaus einliefernto admit someone to hospital
- Blut verlierento lose blood
- dem Tod entgehento escape death/destruction
- zu Kräften kommento regain one's strength
All collocations in Körper und Gesundheit
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