French Phrase
Cette boîte tient le coup ?
Meaning
Literally, “Does this box hold the blow?” In everyday French it asks whether the box is sturdy enough to survive regular use or a particular stress. It’s a casual way to check durability.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’re inspecting a container, a piece of luggage, a phone case, or any object whose strength you want to confirm. It’s common in shops, at home, or in online product reviews.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Cetteboîtetientlecoup?
Demonstrative adjective
« Cette » agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies; here it is feminine singular to match « boîte ».
Verb tenir
« tient » is the third‑person singular present of « tenir », meaning ‘to hold, to keep’. In this idiom it conveys durability.
Idiom « tenir le coup »
Literally ‘to hold the blow’, it means ‘to stand up to stress, to last, to endure’. It can refer to people or objects.
Question format
The whole clause is turned into a yes‑no question simply by adding a rising intonation (or a question mark in writing). No inversion is needed.
🗨In Conversation
Cette boîte tient le coup ?
Does this box hold up?
Oui, elle ne se fissure même pas après plusieurs chocs.
Yes, it doesn’t even crack after several bumps.
✕Common Mistakes
Cette boîte tient le cou ?
Learners sometimes write « coup » as « cou », which changes the meaning to ‘neck’. The idiom is « le coup », not « le cou ».
Cette boîte tient le coup.
Using the present tense without the question intonation can sound like a statement. For a question, add a rising tone or a question mark.
Cette boîte tient le coup ?
In formal writing you would invert the verb: « Cette boîte tient‑elle le coup ?». The simple form is fine in spoken and informal contexts.
↔Alternatives
Cette boîte résiste bien ?
Does this box resist well?
Cette boîte est solide ?
Is this box solid?
Cette boîte tient la route ?
Does this box stand the test?
Cultural Tip
« Tenir le coup » is a versatile idiom in French. With people it means to endure hardship (e.g., « Il tient le coup malgré la maladie »). With objects it signals durability. Avoid mixing it up with « tenir le cou », which would be a literal ‘hold the neck’ and makes no sense here.