French Phrase
On doit tenir le coup pendant cette période difficile.
Meaning
The sentence means “We must hold on during this difficult period.” It conveys a sense of collective resolve and encouragement to persevere when circumstances are hard.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to rally a group—friends, colleagues, or family—through a challenging time, such as a health crisis, a tough work project, or a societal hardship.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ondoittenirlecouppendantcettepériodedifficile
On (impersonal)
"On" is an indefinite pronoun that can mean "we" in everyday French, especially in spoken language.
Devoir (doit)
"Doit" is the third‑person singular present of devoir, used to express obligation or necessity.
Tenir le coup
An idiomatic expression meaning “to hold out”, “to endure” or “to keep going despite difficulty.”
Pendant
Preposition that introduces a time span; it is followed by a noun phrase.
Cette période difficile
Demonstrative adjective "cette" + noun "période" + adjective "difficile" to specify a tough period.
🗨In Conversation
On doit tenir le coup pendant cette période difficile.
We have to hold on during this difficult period.
Oui, on s'accroche et on avance pas à pas.
Yes, we’ll hang in there and move forward step by step.
✕Common Mistakes
On doit être pendant cette période difficile.
Learners often replace the idiom with "être" (e.g., "On doit être pendant…"), which is grammatically incorrect and loses the idiomatic meaning.
On doit tenir pendant cette période difficile.
Using "coup" alone (e.g., "tenir le") removes the idiomatic sense; the full phrase "tenir le coup" is required.
On doit tenir le coup pendant ce période difficile.
Mixing gender ("ce" instead of "cette") creates a gender error with "période" which is feminine.
↔Alternatives
Il faut résister pendant cette période difficile.
We must resist during this difficult period.
Nous devons rester forts pendant ces moments compliés.
We must stay strong during these tough moments.
Il faut garder le cap malgré les difficultés.
We must keep our course despite the difficulties.
Cultural Tip
The idiom "tenir le coup" is informal and very common in spoken French. It is often used in personal contexts (family, friends) and in workplaces to boost morale. Avoid using it in very formal writing; replace it with "persévérer" or "maintenir le cap" instead.