Grammar fix
hold hands
touch hands
to gently take and keep someone’s hand in yours, usually to show affection, comfort, or support
collocationB1common
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
The little girl held her mother’s hand as they crossed the street.
When I was a child, my grandmother would always hold my hand when we walked to school, which made me feel safe and loved.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: They were holding their hands.
Say: They were holding hands.
The idiom is 'hold hands' (no 'their') when two people hold each other's hands. 'Hold their hands' means hold someone else's.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Hold hands' is the fixed everyday phrase. 'Clasping each other's hands' is overwritten.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
hold hands
- with him
- under the table
- in public
- the whole time