01
anhalten
to stop
To stop moving or come to a standstill. This can refer to vehicles, people, or machines.
example
Der Bus musste an der roten Ampel anhalten.
The bus had to stop at the red light.
anhalten
to stop / continue
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Separable verb
'Anhalten' (to stop / continue) is a separable verb. The prefix 'an-' goes to the end in main clauses. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Der Fahrer hielt plötzlich an.
The driver stopped suddenly.
Auxiliary verb in the perfect tense
The auxiliary verb in the perfect tense depends on the meaning. For 'stoppen' (to stop) in its intransitive use, 'haben' is usually used. For 'andauern' (to continue/last), 'haben' is always used.
EXAMPLE
Der Schneefall hat die ganze Nacht angehalten.
The snowfall continued all night.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning from context. If it is about movement that stops (car, person), it means 'stoppen' (to stop). If it is about a condition that continues (weather, pain), it means 'andauern' (to continue/last).
EXAMPLE
Bitte halten Sie an der nächsten Haltestelle an.
Please stop at the next stop.
Fixed expression
A very common transitive use is the fixed expression 'den Atem anhalten' (to hold one's breath). This means not to breathe for a short moment, often because of suspense or fear.
EXAMPLE
Während der spannenden Szene im Film hielten alle den Atem an.
During the exciting scene in the film, everyone held their breath.
Sentence structure with 'zu'
In the meaning 'ermahnen' (to admonish/urge), the verb has a fixed structure: you urge someone (accusative) to do something or toward something (dative): jemanden zu etwas anhalten.
EXAMPLE
Die Eltern halten ihre Kinder zu mehr Pünktlichkeit an.
The parents urge their children to be more punctual.
Compare with
anhalten vs halten
to hold
'halten' and 'anhalten' can both mean that a movement stops. With vehicles, they are often very similar: a bus stops at the bus stop, and you can also say: 'Der Bus hält dort' (the bus stops there). 'anhalten' makes the stopping clearer and can also be used for people or machines. 'halten' is very normal in traffic contexts and at stops. Learners may confuse the words because both work when talking about vehicles stopping. The important point is: 'anhalten' clearly describes the moment of stopping, while 'halten' can also simply mean that a vehicle is standing in a place or stops there regularly.
anhalten
Bitte halt kurz am Supermarkt an, damit ich Brot kaufen kann.
Please stop briefly at the supermarket so I can buy bread.
halten
Der Fahrer hat vor dem Zebrastreifen gehalten.
The driver stopped before the zebra crossing.
In real life
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