hålla på att

Be in the Middle of

Level 4

Use hålla på att + infinitive verb to say you're 'in the middle of' doing something or 'about to' do something.

How It Works

hålla på att is a versatile and common phrasal construction used to describe actions in progress. It has two primary meanings:

1. An Ongoing Action
This use emphasizes a process in progress at the relevant time. In the present, the pattern is håller på att + infinitive; other tenses change hålla.

  • Structure: Subject + håller på att + Verb (infinitive)
  • Example: Vad gör du? – Jag håller på att läsa en bok. (What are you doing? – I'm reading a book.)

This construction can be used in different tenses by conjugating the verb hålla:

  • Present: hon håller på att skriva (she is writing)
  • Past (Preterite): hon höll på att skriva (she was writing)
  • Perfect: hon har hållit på att skriva (she has been writing)

2. To Be 'About To' or 'On the Verge Of'
The second meaning is to indicate that something is imminent or was very close to happening. The context usually makes it clear which meaning is intended.

  • Example: Se upp! Du höll på att ramla! (Watch out! You almost fell!)
  • Example: Jag håller på att bli galen! (I'm about to go crazy!)

In this sense, it often describes something sudden or dramatic that was narrowly avoided or is just about to occur.

The simple present is also an ordinary way to describe an ongoing action (e.g., Jag läser), using hålla på att can draw attention to the activity’s progress. It is not a compulsory Swedish equivalent of English -ing.

Speaker Variation
Many speakers prefer håller på och jobbar for an ongoing activity; some distinguish it from håller på att... for something nearly happening. Both the verb’s meaning and the speaker’s variety matter. A static fact such as a book lying on a table does not normally take this progressive construction.

Examples (5)

  1. Stör inte, jag håller på att jobba.

    Don't disturb, I'm working.

    Word by Word: Disturb not, I hold on to work.

    The speaker emphasizes that work is in progress now. Jag jobbar can also describe an ongoing action.

  2. Han höll på att diska när telefonen ringde.

    He was washing the dishes when the phone rang.

    Word by Word: He held on to wash dishes when the telephone rang.

    Höll places the ongoing washing-up in the past. The phone rings during it; the sentence alone does not prove that he stopped washing up.

  3. Jag höll på att glömma min plånbok!

    I almost forgot my wallet!

    Word by Word: I held on to forget my wallet!

    This example demonstrates the second meaning: 'to be about to' or 'almost did'. The action of forgetting didn't happen, but it was very close.

  4. Barnen har hållit på att leka i trädgården hela eftermiddagen.

    The children have been playing in the garden all afternoon.

    Word by Word: The children have held on to play in the garden whole the afternoon.

    Using the perfect tense har hållit på att to describe an action that has been ongoing for a period of time and may still be continuing.

  5. Skynda dig, tåget håller på att åka!

    Hurry up, the train is leaving!

    Word by Word: Hurry you, the train holds on to go!

    Here the process of leaving is presented as underway. Hålla på att is not a general future marker for every event that will happen soon.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a conjugated verb instead of the infinitive after 'att'.

    Jag håller på att läser.
    Jag håller på att läsa.

    The construction hålla på att must always be followed by the main verb in its infinitive (base) form, which usually ends in '-a'.

  • Confusing 'hålla på att' with other 'hålla' expressions.

    Jag håller med att laga mat.
    Jag håller på att laga mat.

    hålla på att is a fixed phrase for an ongoing action. Other expressions like hålla med (to agree with) or hålla i (to hold on to) have completely different meanings and cannot be used in this context.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

hålla på attLevel 4Be in the Middle of

Learn This First

To use 'hålla på att', you need to understand how to conjugate the main verb 'hålla' and how to link it to a second action using the preposition 'på' and the infinitive marker 'att'.

Words in This Pattern

hålla påhålla på