Tenir le coup

Expression: Tenir le coup

Pronunciation: [ teu neer leu koo]

Meaning: to cope, hold up, handle, make it through; to stay the course

Literal translation: to hold the blow

Register: normal

The French expression tenir le coup can be used for both people and things. For people, tenir le coup means to cope with a difficult situation. For things, it indicates that something is holding up, such as evidence or the economy.

   Ça a été un choc atroce, mais il tient le coup.

   It was a terrible shock, but he's coping.

   Je ne pense pas que l'économie puisse tenir le coup.

   I don't think the economy can hold up.

• Expressions with tenir
• Expressions with coup
• Most common French phrases