il tient

he holds

→ il

phrase Common #7,145

he holds With an object, it can also mean “he keeps,” as in keeping a promise or his word. In “il tient de son père,” it means “he takes after his father.”

FR: Il tient fermement la corde.

EN: He is holding the rope tightly.

Il tient le professeur en grande estime.

He holds the professor in high esteem.

Je me demande de qui il tient.

I wonder who he gets it from.

— A Taxi Driver (2017)

Il tient un journal intime.

He keeps a diary.

Il tient parole.

He keeps his word.

Il tient un garage de motos.

He runs a motorcycle repair shop.

— Article 15 (2019)

Il tient son journal intime.

He keeps a diary.

— Your Name. (2016)

Et il tient debout.

And it stands upright.

— Fight Club (1999)

Il tient le coup.

He's holding up.

Il tient un journal en anglais.

He keeps a diary in English.

Il tient pour principe de ne jamais parler des autres en mal.

He holds the principle of never speaking ill of others.

Il tient le rang de colonel.

He holds the rank of colonel.

Du moment qu'il tient jusqu'à la vallée.

As long as it holds up until the valley.

— Nausicaä de la vallée du vent (1984)

Il tient de son père.

He takes after his father.

Il tient bien, ce poulet.

This chicken is holding up well.

— La Vie d'Adèle - Chapitres 1 et 2 (2013)

Et il tient à faire la traversée.

And he is determined to make the crossing.

— L’Enfance d’Ivan (1962)

Je sais qu'il tient sa parole.

I know he keeps his word.

Il tient de moi à bien des égards.

He takes after me in many ways.

— Yi Yi (2000)

Richardson a encaissé un coup violent, mais il tient bon.

Richardson took a heavy blow, but he's holding on.

— Running Man (2025)

Il tient le même discours.

He is saying the same thing.

— Il est de retour (2015)

Je crois qu'il tient beaucoup à vous, lui aussi.

I think he cares about you a lot too.

— Aquarius (2016)

Il tient une librairie dans le centre-ville.

He runs a bookstore in the city center.

J'ai de la chance, il tient de son père.

I'm lucky; he takes after his father.

— Nobody Knows (2004)

Il tient chaud le manteau ?

Does the coat keep you warm?

— Kin-dza-dza! (1986)

Il tient à toi.

He cares about you.

Comme il tient son poing ?

How is he holding his fist?

— Aguirre, la colère de Dieu (1972)

M. Interligator lui il tient à sa femme.

Mr. Interligator cares deeply about his wife.

— Delicatessen (1991)

Ainsi tu penses qu'un poète ne peut pas penser quand il tient un oignon, hein ?

So you think a poet can’t think while holding an onion, huh?

— Le Facteur (1994)

Il tient Patmol !

He's holding Padfoot!

— Harry Potter et l'Ordre du Phénix (2007)

Il tient à la vie.

He clings to life.

— The Shadow's Edge (2025)

Il tient quand même à sa carrière.

He still cares about his career.

— Whiplash (2014)

De qui il tient ça, on se demande.

Makes you wonder who he gets that from.

— Caché (2005)

Il tient quelque chose.

He's holding something.

Il tient ça de sa mère.

He gets that from his mother.

Il tient Patmol, là où c'est caché.

He's holding Padfoot where it's hidden.

— Harry Potter et l'Ordre du Phénix (2007)