Languages › French Tenir le coup Share Flipboard Email Print Thoughtco French Vocabulary Pronunciation & Conversation Grammar Resources For Teachers By ThoughtCo Updated February 08, 2019 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 Notes 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. Examples 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. More Expressions with tenirExpressions with coupMost common French phrases