tenere il segreto

/teˈneːre il seˈɡreːto/

keep a secret

Devi tenere il segreto su questa notizia finché non sarà ufficiale.

You must keep this news a secret until it's official.

neutral

To keep information confidential without revealing it to others.

Ha promesso di tenere il segreto sulla nostra relazione.

He promised to keep our relationship a secret.

Non riesco a tenere il segreto, devo dirlo a qualcuno!

I can't keep the secret, I have to tell someone!

Used for both personal and professional contexts where confidentiality is required.

Collocations

tenere un segretoto keep a secretnon riuscire a tenere un segretoto be unable to keep a secrettenere il segreto professionaleto keep professional confidentiality

to maintain silence

portare un segreto nella tombaidiom

to take a secret to the grave (never reveal it)

Pro Tip

Common Mistake

Avoid using 'tenere il segreto' with 'da' (e.g., *tenere il segreto da qualcuno). The correct preposition is typically none or 'su' (e.g., 'tenere il segreto su qualcosa').

Gold Rule

Contextual Usage

Use 'tenere il segreto' when the focus is on the action of concealing information actively. For passive concealment, consider 'nascondere' (to hide).

Word Origin

The phrase combines 'tenere' (to hold/keep) from Latin 'tenēre' and 'segreto' (secret) from Latin 'secretum', both with the core meaning of 'hidden' or 'set apart'. The expression reflects the physical metaphor of 'holding' information securely.

Usage Notes

Common in both formal and informal contexts. Often used with 'di' + infinitive (e.g., 'tenere il segreto di qualcosa'). The phrase emphasizes the active effort to conceal information rather than passive ignorance.

Word Breakdown

tenere

to hold/keep

root

il segreto

the secret

noun phrase

Dizionario Italiano-Inglese

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