Holde fast | Danish Grammar

Holde fast ('to hold on, to stick to, to maintain') is a phrasal verb built on the strong verb holde plus the particle fast ('firmly, fast'). It splits into a literal sense — gripping something so it does not slip — and a figurative sense — refusing to abandon a plan, an opinion, or a claim. The preposition that follows decides which sense you mean, and getting that preposition wrong is the single most common error English speakers make here.

Principal parts

Holde is strong: the past and the past participle are not formed by adding -ede. The particle fast travels with the verb in every tense.

Form	Danish	English
Infinitive	(at) holde fast	to hold on
Present	holder fast	hold(s) on
Past	holdt fast	held on
Past participle	holdt fast	held on
Present perfect	har holdt fast	have held on
Imperative	hold fast	hold on!

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Danish verbs never change for person or number. Jeg holder fast, du holder fast, vi holder fast — one present form serves every subject, and one past form (holdt fast) serves them all in the past.

The perfect auxiliary is har, not er: holde fast describes an activity, not a change of state, so it takes have. Compare a motion verb like gå ('go'), which can take er (jeg er gået) because it marks a transition to a new location. Holde fast never does — you are doing something, not arriving somewhere — so it is always har holdt fast.

Holde fast i — hold on to (physically)

With i, holde fast means to grip something physically so that it does not fall or get away. The thing you grip is the object of i.

Hold fast i gelænderet — trappen er glat.

Hold on to the railing — the stairs are slippery.

Hun holdt fast i min arm, så hun ikke faldt.

She held on to my arm so she wouldn't fall.

Barnet holder fast i ballonens snor.

The child is holding on to the balloon's string.

Holde fast ved — stick to (a plan, opinion, claim)

With ved, the verb turns figurative: you maintain a position, keep to a decision, or refuse to give up a belief even under pressure. The thing you stand by is the object of ved.

Vi holder fast ved den oprindelige plan, selvom det bliver dyrt.

We're sticking to the original plan, even though it'll be expensive.

Hun holdt fast ved sin forklaring under hele afhøringen.

She stood by her account throughout the entire questioning.

Ministeren holder fast ved, at reformen er nødvendig.

The minister maintains that the reform is necessary.

Notice the last example: ved can be followed by a whole at-clause, not just a noun. That construction — holde fast ved, at … — is the standard formal way to report that someone insists on a claim (formal, common in journalism and politics).

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A quick test: if you could physically let go with your hand, use i. If the only thing you could "let go of" is an idea or a plan, use ved.

Hold fast! — as an exclamation

On its own, Hold fast! is a fixed exclamation of surprise or amazement, roughly 'Wow!' or 'Good grief!' (informal). Here it has drifted away from its literal meaning entirely — nobody is gripping anything.

Hold fast, hvor er her dyrt!

Wow, this place is expensive!

Hold da fast, det havde jeg ikke regnet med!

Good grief, I hadn't expected that!

The expanded form Hold da fast! (with the filler da) is even more emphatic and is heard constantly in everyday Danish (informal).

Holde fast på — be careful

Danish does allow holde fast på in some contexts, but it does not mean what an English speaker expects from "hold on to." Holde fast på noget tends to mean keeping a firm grip on a thing or a right you are reluctant to relinquish — it leans toward the figurative ved-sense rather than the physical i-sense, and many speakers prefer ved in that role. For the two clear core meanings on this page, use i (physical) and ved (figurative). When in doubt between på and ved for sticking to a position, choose ved — it is never wrong.

Holde generates a family of fixed expressions worth knowing alongside holde fast: holde op ('stop'), holde af ('be fond of'), holde fri ('take time off'), holde øje med ('keep an eye on'). The particle changes the whole meaning, so treat each as its own unit rather than translating word for word.

Common mistakes

❌ Hold fast på rælingen.

Incorrect — physical gripping takes 'i', not 'på'.

✅ Hold fast i rælingen.

Hold on to the railing.

❌ Vi holder fast i vores beslutning.

Incorrect — for sticking to a decision (figurative), use 'ved', not 'i'.

✅ Vi holder fast ved vores beslutning.

We're sticking to our decision.

❌ Jeg er holdt fast ved min mening.

Incorrect — 'holde fast' takes the auxiliary 'har', not 'er'.

✅ Jeg har holdt fast ved min mening.

I've stuck to my opinion.

❌ Han holdede fast i rebet.

Incorrect — 'holde' is strong; the past is 'holdt', not 'holdede'.

✅ Han holdt fast i rebet.

He held on to the rope.

❌ Hold fast til, hvor flot!

Incorrect — the surprise exclamation is just 'Hold fast!' (no preposition).

✅ Hold fast, hvor flot!

Wow, how beautiful!

Key takeaways

Principal parts: holde fast – holder fast – holdt fast – har holdt fast; the verb is strong, so the past is holdt, never holdede.
The auxiliary is har (an activity, not a change of state).
i = grip physically; ved = stick to a plan/opinion/claim; Hold fast! alone = an exclamation of surprise.
No agreement: one present and one past form cover every subject.

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