ein Referat halten

to give a presentation/talk

Türkçe: sunum yapmak

Not ein Referat geben

English says to give, so geben is the verb that comes to mind. German does not take it here. Referat goes with halten, and the pairing is fixed — it is not a rule you can work out, only one you can learn.

Noun

Referat n.

Verb

halten

Topic

Kommunikation

In a sentence

Die Studentin hält ein Referat über die deutsche Wiedervereinigung.

How it is used

Means 'to give a presentation/talk'. Neutral register, common in academic or professional settings. Use at university or in a business meeting. Common mistake: learners use 'Präsentation' instead of 'Referat' for school talks.

Other collocations built on halten

• sich an eine Abmachung haltento stick to/keep an agreement
• Abstand haltento keep distance
• eine Ansprache haltento give a speech/address
• Ausschau halten nach+Dat.to look out for
• den Ball flach haltento keep a low profile
• sich an die Etikette haltento adhere to etiquette
• in Gang haltento keep something running or maintain momentum
• ein Gelübde haltento remain faithful to a solemn promise