Grammar fix
hold your breath
not breathe
to stop breathing for a short time, usually on purpose, for example when you go underwater or are waiting nervously for something to happen.
collocationB1common
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
She had to hold her breath while swimming under the water.
During the exam, I was so nervous that I felt like I was holding my breath until I finished.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: Hold the breath and count to ten.
Say: Hold your breath and count to ten.
Use the possessive — 'hold YOUR breath', not 'the breath'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Hold your breath' is the fixed everyday phrase. 'Cease breathing momentarily' is clinical.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
hold your breath
- underwater
- for a moment
- and count
- nervously