to reproach / hold in front / last
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to reproach someone with something
To reproach someone for a mistake, an omission, or negative behavior, or to remind them of it.
Sie hielt ihm bei jedem Streit seine früheren Fehler vor.
In every argument, she reproached him with his past mistakes.
to hold something in front
To take something in your hands and hold it in front of a person or thing so that it is visible or provides protection.
Er hielt sich die Hand vor den Mund, um nicht laut zu lachen.
He held his hand in front of his mouth so he would not laugh out loud.
to last
To refer to supplies or resources that are sufficient or available for a certain period of time.
Die Lebensmittelkonserven werden noch etwa zwei Wochen vorhalten.
The canned food will last for about another two weeks.
'Vorhalten' is a separable verb. In a main clause, the prefix 'vor' separates and moves to the end of the sentence. In the infinitive with 'zu', 'zu' stands between the prefix and the verb.
Er hält ihr ihre Fehler vor.
He reproaches her with her mistakes.
You can recognize the meaning from the sentence structure: If a person is in the dative ('jemandem etwas vorhalten' (to reproach someone with something)), it is about a reproach. If it is about supplies that are sufficient, the verb is usually used without an object. If something is physically held in front of something, there is an accusative object.
Sie hielt ihm seine Unpünktlichkeit vor. (Vorwurf)
She reproached him with his unpunctuality. (reproach)
In the meaning 'vorwerfen' (to reproach/accuse), the verb needs a fixed structure: The person you reproach is in the dative, and the reproach itself is in the accusative.
Warum hältst du mir das jetzt vor?
Why are you reproaching me with that now?
When you hold something protectively or to cover yourself, the verb is used reflexively with a dative pronoun: sich die Hand vor den Mund halten (to hold one's hand in front of one's mouth).
Sie hielt sich erschrocken die Hände vor das Gesicht.
Startled, she held her hands in front of her face.
In this meaning, 'vorhalten' (to last) is used without an object. The subject of the sentence is the supply that is sufficient for a certain period of time.
Wie lange wird unser Wasservorrat noch vorhalten?
How long will our water supply last?
to show
Both verbs can mean making an object visible to someone. Zeigen is general and can also mean pointing to something. Vorhalten emphasizes holding the object in front of the person with your hands; in this situation, both words are possible.
Ich hielt der Verkäuferin mein Ticket vor.
I held my ticket up to the sales clerk.
Ich zeigte der Verkäuferin mein Ticket.
I showed the sales clerk my ticket.
