hålla andan

Swedish

Etymology

From hålla (“hold”) +‎ andan (“one's breath”).

Verb

hålla andan (present håller andan, preterite höll andan, supine hållit andan, imperative håll andan)

  1. to hold one's breath (literally or figuratively)
    • 1986, Magnus Uggla, “Fula gubbar [Dirty old men]”‎[1]:
      Han har blonderat sitt gråa hår, och lyft bort fett ifrån höft och lår, för att slippa hålla andan på Norderstrand, i jakten på en konfirmand.
      He has dyed his gray hair blond, and removed [lifted off/away] fat from his hips and thighs [from hip and thigh], so as to [in order to] not have to hold his breath on Norderstrand [beach in Visby on Gotland], in the hunt for a confirmand [person undergoing religious confirmation, usually 13-15 years old].

Conjugation

Conjugation of hålla (class 7 strong)
active passive
infinitive hålla andan —
supine hållit andan —
imperative håll andan —
imper. plural1 hållen andan —
present past present past
indicative håller andan höll andan — —
ind. plural1 hålla andan höllo andan — —
subjunctive2 hålle andan hölle andan — —
present participle —
past participle —

1 Archaic. 2 Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

References

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