verb

anhalten

stop

Es bedeutet, etwas zu stoppen oder zum Stillstand zu bringen, zum Beispiel ein Auto oder eine Bewegung.

Definition & meaning

The German verb „anhalten“ has several related meanings depending on context:

To stop / to come to a halt – It can describe vehicles, people, or actions stopping for a moment.
Example: Der Zug hält an. – “The train stops.”
To last / to continue – It can also mean that something persists or continues for a certain period.
Example: Der Regen hält an. – “The rain continues.”
To urge or ask someone to do something (followed by zu + infinitive).
Example: Er hält ihn zur Pünktlichkeit an. – “He urges him to be punctual.”

In general, it expresses the idea of causing or experiencing a pause, continuation, or prompting action.

Grammar & Word origin

Part of speech: Verb (strong verb)
Principal parts: anhalten – hielt an – hat angehalten
Prefix type: The prefix „an-“ is separable, meaning it splits off in the main clause (hält an).

Etymology: Derived from Middle High German anhalten, made up of an- (“at, on, toward”) and halten (“to hold”). Together, the literal sense was “to hold toward” or “to bring to a stop.”