音読み: ジ
訓読み: もつ
画数: 9
部首: 扌（てへん）
Meaning
Hold / Possess / Keep
- Basic forms
- 持つ — to hold; to have; to possess / base form
- 持ちます — (I) hold; carry / masu form
- 持った — held; had / ta form
- 持って — hold (and…); please hold / te-form
- 持たない — do not hold; do not have / negative form
- 持てば — if (someone) holds; if (someone) has / conditional
- 持て・持ちなさい — hold it! / imperative
- Other common forms
- 持ちたい — want to have / 〜たい form
- 持てる — can have; can hold / potential
- 持てた — was able to hold / past potential
- 持てない — cannot hold; cannot have / negative potential
- More
- 持とう — let’s have; let’s hold / 〜よう form
- 持たなかった — didn’t have / past negative
- 持っている — have; possess; be holding / progressive/state
持つ（もつ） is a godan verb ending in つ. Stem alternates as つ → ち → っ, giving forms like 持ちます・持って・持った. Used for holding physical objects or having/possessing something — as in かばんを持つ (to hold a bag) or お金を持っている (to have money).
- 所持 — possession
- 支持 — support, backing
- 維持 — maintenance, preservation
- 持参 — bringing (something) with you
- 持続 — continuation, persistence
More examples ▼
持 combines the radical 扌 (hand) with 寺 (temple), suggesting the image of holding or carrying something important or sacred with the hands — and by extension, to keep, have, or maintain.
このカバンを持ちます。
I’ll carry this bag.
長持ちする電池です。
These are long-lasting batteries.
持続 — continuation, persistence