to hold out / to stall
Loading your saved state.
to hold something out
To extend something with your hand or arms toward a person so that they can take it or look at it.
Sie hielt ihm das Foto hin, damit er es besser erkennen konnte.
She held the photo out to him so he could see it better.
to stall someone
To deliberately make someone wait and delay a decision or action, often to gain time or avoid an unpleasant situation.
Die Versicherung hat mich monatelang mit Ausreden hingehalten, bevor sie den Schaden bezahlt hat.
The insurance company stalled me for months with excuses before it paid for the damage.
to take the blame
To take responsibility or the negative consequences for a mistake or problem, often also on behalf of others.
Als Projektleiter musste er für die Verzögerung den Kopf hinhalten.
As project manager, he had to take the blame for the delay.
'Hinhalten' is a separable verb. The prefix 'hin-' comes at the end in main clauses, stays attached to the verb in subordinate clauses, and with the infinitive with 'zu', 'zu' is placed between them.
Das Kind hielt seiner Mutter die Zeichnung hin.
The child held the drawing out to his mother.
You can recognize the meaning of 'hinhalten' from the object: If you hold out a thing (m01), you extend it toward someone. If you stall a person (m02), you make them wait. The expression 'den Kopf hinhalten' (to take the blame) means to take responsibility.
Kannst du mir bitte mal kurz die Tasche hinhalten?
Could you please hold the bag out to me for a moment?
The two main meanings use different cases. When you extend something toward someone, it is: 'jemandem (dative) etwas (accusative) hinhalten' (to hold something out to someone). When you make someone wait, it is: 'jemanden (accusative) hinhalten' (to stall someone).
Er hielt seiner Freundin (Dativ) die Autotür (Akkusativ) hin.
He held the car door out for his girlfriend (dative) / the car door (accusative).
When someone is made to wait, this often happens 'mit Ausreden' (with excuses), 'mit Versprechungen' (with promises), or 'mit vagen Antworten' (with vague answers). This prepositional phrase with 'mit' describes the means of delay.
Er hat mich wochenlang mit der Ausrede hingehalten, er hätte keine Zeit.
He stalled me for weeks with the excuse that he had no time.
The idiom 'den Kopf hinhalten' (to take the blame) is often used with the preposition 'für' to state the reason: 'den Kopf für etwas/jemanden hinhalten' (to take the blame for something/someone).
Sie wollte nicht, dass ihre Kollegen für ihren Fehler den Kopf hinhalten mussten.
She did not want her colleagues to have to take the blame for her mistake.
to hand / to suffice
Reichen and hinhalten both describe moving an object toward another person. Reichen focuses on handing the object over. Hinhalten initially means extending the object toward the person so that they can take it or look at it; an actual handover is not certain.
Mara hielt ihrem Freund die Flasche hin, damit er das Etikett ansehen konnte.
Mara held the bottle out to her friend so he could look at the label.
Mara reichte ihrem Freund die Flasche, und er nahm sie.
Mara handed her friend the bottle, and he took it.
