Dutch Verb Houden ('to hold, to keep') - Houden van ('to love, to like') and other Houden verbs and Words

Houden   2 3 4 to 'hold,' 'to keep' is a strong verb:

houden to 'hold'

-

hield held

-

gehouden held

overview
houden		to hold
ik houd		I'm holding
wij houden		we're holding
ik hield		I held
wij hielden		we held
ik heb gehouden		I have held

'Houden' is most often found as 'houden van' - to love, to like. Of that I have the complete conjugation:

overview
houden van		to love, to like
ik houd van		I love
wij houden van		we love
ik hield van		I loved
wij hielden van		we loved
ik heb gehouden van		I have loved

simple present tense
(houden van)		to love, to like
ik houd van		I love
jij houdt van		you love (singular, informal you)
hij houdt van		he loves
wij houden van		we love
jullie houden van		you love (plural, informal you)
zij houden van		they love
U houdt van		you love(polite you)

simple past tense
(houden van)		to love
ik hield van		I loved
jij hield van		you loved
hij hield van		he loved
wij hielden van		we loved
jullie hielden van		y'all loved
zij hielden van		they loved
U hield van		you loved

present perfect tense
ik heb gehouden van	I have loved, liked

For the present tense of the first person singular, and for the inverted question mode of the second person singular present tense, the D of 'houd' is often not pronounced
houden / ik houd / ik hou
jij houdt / hou jij?

'Houden van' - to Love, to Like

'Houden van' is 'to like, to love' - but the Dutch rarely say things like "Ik hou van jou" 'I love you' to romantic partners or children. 'Houden van'  is mostly used to communicate a like (or dislike) of specific food, music or activities

Ik houd van ... I like, I love .... (fill in any subject) Ik houd van soep (-d) (2) I love soup Ik houd niet van vis I don't like fish ‑>> Ik hou er niet van 2 3 I don't like it, I don't enjoy it Ik houd erg van Bach (-d) (2) I like Bach very much Ik houd niet van sport (-d) I do not like sports Ik houd niet van vlees snijden I dislike cutting meat Daar houd ik niet van 2 3 4 I don't like that Waar hou(d) je van? What do you like?
Keep in mind that placeholders 'It,' 'What' and 'That' are translated by 'er,' 'waar' and 'daar' when used with a preposition (like 'van') - more "Houd jij van opera? - Ik niet." "Do you like opera? - I don't." Hij houdt niet van spruitjes 2 He doesn't like Brussels sprouts Hij houdt erg van soep 2 He really likes soup, he likes soup a lot Hou(d) je van koken? 2 Do you like to cook? Do you like cooking? Hij houdt veel van honden He loves dogs Hij houdt van jou He loves you alternates and related words

Houden ('to hold, to keep')

Hou je vast! 2 ['Hold fast!'] - Hold on, grip something scheef houden 2 to hold at an angle, to tilt Hij kan geen wijs houden 2 He cannot ['hold on to'] carry a tune Hou je mond! 2 3 4 Hold your mouth! Keep your mouth shut! Don't say anything! Shut up! Pappen en nathouden 2 3 (saying) ['Apply paste and keep wet'] - applying and maintaining a wound dressing
Keep going in adverse circumstances, persevering in a less than ideal situation - but not looking for a radical solution Houd afstand 2 Keep distance, dont get too close Hou 't eenvoudig 2 Keep it simple (uncomplicated) Probeer 't eenvoudig te houden 2 Try to keep it simple

Hou(d) 't goed in de gaten 2 (saying) Watch it [well] closely
(het) gat 'hole' (vowel lengthening in the plural: gat/gaten ‑>>) - Stoett says 'gaten' here probably means 'look-holes, eyes' so: 'Keep it well in your eyes' Je moet 't goed in de gaten houden 2 3 You have to watch it closely

Een oogje in het zeil houden 2 (saying) to keep an eye on the sail' - to watch over something or someone Iemand die een oogje in het zeil houdt 2 A person watching over someone or something

Hij houdt z'n poot stijf (saying) ['He's keeping his paw stiff'] - 'He's not giving in' Ik hoop dat we 't droog houden I hope we'll keep it dry (hoping it doesn't rain)

Hou je gedeisd 'Keep quiet, don't make a fuss, lay low, don't draw attention to yourself' (from Portuguese deixar)

achter de hand houden 2 3 keeping something (a resource) ['behind the hand,' hidden] in reserve

Ik wil je niet van je werk houden 2 3 I don't want to keep you from your work

Ik hou(d) je verantwoordelijk 2 3 I hold you responsible, you are liable
(de) wettelijke aansprakelijkheid 2 legal liability

voor de gek houden 2 to fool (someone) - usually: play a prank, deceive (someone) for a joke Hou je jezelf voor de gek? 2 3 4 Are you fooling, deceiving yourself?

Dat hou(d) je toch 2 3 [That's going to remain, whatever you do - you'll always keep that] - You can't change that, that's not going to change (a small problem that can't be solved, something unpleasant, a nuisance that's not going away)

Hou je hoofd erbij! 2 3 4 ['Keep your head at it'] - Pay attention, stay with it, don't lose focus

Hou je gemak! 2 3 [Remain at ease] - Don't get excited, 'keep your shirt on'

Compound Verbs with Houden

behouden 2 3 to keep, hold on to, retain, conserve 'Behoudend' 2 3 ['holding on'] is an old-fashioned word for 'conservative.' The modern word is the easier 'conservatief' 2 ->> Probeer alles en behoud het goede 2 3 4 Try everything and keep what's good 'Het Behouden Huis' Searching for the North-East Passage in 1596, Willem Barentsz and his crew were trapped in the ice and wintered on Nova Zembla. They built a shelter from the wreckage of their ship and called it  'Het Behouden Huis.' Wikipedia translates that as 'The Saved House' - but I think it rather means 'The House Where We're Safe, the place where we'll survive' Behouden vaart! 2 3 Have a safe journey! (said to sailors and travellers by ship - old-fashioned)

ophouden 2 to stop, end, come to an end ophouden met to stop, end, quit, cease  met/mee ophouden met werken 2 to stop working, to retire  ‑>> ophouden met roken 2 to stop smoking   ‑>> Hou op! 2 3 4 5 Stop it! Hou toch op! 2 Now stop that nonsense! Shut up! I'm sick and tired or your talking Hou er onmiddellijk mee op! 2 3 Now stop that (immediately) right away! Daar moet je mee ophouden 2 You should stop doing that 't Hield zomaar op 2 It suddenly stopped, I don't know why Dan houdt alles op 2 ['Then everything ends'] - That changes everything, it's no use continuing after that 't Houdt maar niet op 2 It just never stops, it goes on and on Ik denk erover op te houden 2 3 I'm thinking of stopping, not continuiing Kan ik ermee ophouden? 2 3 4 Can I stop doing this? Is it OK not to continue with this? Houdt die herrie nooit op? Is that noise never going to stop? We kunnen nu niet ophouden 2 3 We can't stop now onophoudelijk 2 unending, continuing, ceaselessly, incessantly Ik eet geen witlof meer want het is te duur 2 [I no longer eat ... because it is too expensive] - I stopped eating Belgian endives because they're too expensive

Ze weten niet van ophouden 2 3 4 (saying) ['They don't know about stopping'] - They go on an on, they never stop Hij weet niet van ophouden 2 3

uithouden 2 (usually:   't uithouden 2 3) to endure, bear, 'stand' (het) uithoudingsvermogen 2 ['ability to endure'] - stamina, staying power Hoe hou(d) je 't uit! 2 3 4 How can you stand it!

volhouden 2 to persevere, carry on, insist Houd vol! 2 3 4 Carry on! Keep going! (Don't give up!)

onthouden 2 3 1. to remember (not forget)
2. to withhold (not give)
3. to abstain from, stay away from something Ik kan het niet onthouden 2 I can't keep it in mind, it keeps slipping from my mind, I keep forgetting Je moet het goed onthouden 2 3 You'll have to keep it in mind closely, don't forget it (de) geheelonthouder 2 teetotaler, person staying away from alcohol onthoudingsverschijnselen 2 withdrawal symptoms
(in addiction - (de) verslaving ) also: ontwenningsverschijnselen 2 ‑>>

tegenhouden 2 3 to stop, prevent, hold back, keep back Ik houd je niet tegen 2 I'm not holding you back, I'm not stopping you

terughoudend 2 3 [holding back] - reserved, aloof, detached

Ik kan 't niet meer bijhouden 2 I can't keep up with it (getting old)

'Aanhouden' 2 3 can mean police or other authorities stopping and detaining people, but usually it means 'to keep on' like not taking off clothes etc. or to continue what you're doing, 'continue against adversity, persevere, sustain'
Hou(d) je schoenen aan 2 3 Keep your shoes on De aanhouder wint (saying) He/she who perseveres will win, succeed

vasthouden 2 (verb) to hold, grip (firmly)
(noun) holding on to (literally and figuratively) Ik moet me altijd ergens aan vasthouden 2 3 4 I need to hold on to something (a fixed point) at all times (het) houvast 2 3 'something to hold on to,' a reliable point of support, hold, grip (usually figuratively) Dan heb je wat houvast 2 3 4 'Then you have something to hold onto,' - you'll have a helpful point of support in that

onderhouden	to maintain
ik onderhield	I maintained
ik heb onderhouden	I have maintained

Related Words

onhoudbaar 2 3 ['cannot be held, impossible to hold'] - untenable, unacceptable, indefensible een onhoudbare positie 2 3 4 1. a viewpoint that's unacceptable
2. (military) a location that cannot be defended een onhoudbare situatie 2 3 [a situation that can't go on] - an untenable situation, an unacceptable set of circumstances - something gotta change

(de) boekhouder 2 bookkeeper - keeper of a company's financial records (de) stadhouder 'stadtholder,' the head of the Dutch Republic (ca. 1570-1795.) It's often said that the title has to do with the Dutch word  (de) stad ('city') - but which city is he holding? Only one city? I think the  'stad' in   'stadhouder' is rather a word related to English 'instead' and German 'statt' - 'holding instead of, in place of the king'
plural: stadhouders ‑>> (de) stamhouder 'keeper' of the family, 'holder' of the family name - the oldest son of the oldest son etc. ‑>> (de) inhoud [holding in] - contents; table of contents of a book

het huishouden household; running a household, housekeeping (de) hulp-in-de-huishouding 2 [help in the household] - domestic help (de) huishoudschool 'homemaking, housekeeping school' - abandoned secondary school type

(de) houding attitude Ik erger me aan z'n houding 2 3 4 I'm annoyed by his attitude

(de) verhouding 1. relation, proportion
2. love affair, romantic relationship naar verhouding 2 in proportion, comparatively, relatively

(de) verstandhouding 2 relationship of understanding, mutual understanding een goede verstandhouding good, cordial relations We hebben een goede verstandhouding 2 3 we get on well, we understand each other

hebben en houden ['have and hold'] - all of a person's possessions

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