blijven
/ˈblɛi̯vən/
To stay in Dutch is blijven. Wiktionary also lists verblijven.
Meaning: to remain in a particular place (verb)
Ways to say it
| Dutch | IPA |
|---|---|
| blijven | /ˈblɛi̯vən/ |
| verblijven | /vərˈblɛi̯.və(n)/ |
blijven is the standard verb used to mean remaining in a particular place. It is also used to express the continuation of a specific state, such as staying seated.
Which one should you use?
While blijven is the standard way to say stay or remain, verblijven is a more formal term often used when referring to temporary residence or lodging, such as staying at a hotel.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of blijven is bleef, and the past participle is gebleven.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈblɛi̯vən/
Did you know?
- The Dutch word blijven is a perfect cognate of the English word 'leave' in terms of its ancient Germanic root, even though the modern meanings are complete opposites.
- In Dutch, the expression blijf staan literally means 'stay standing', but it is used as a command to 'freeze' or stop moving immediately.
- Dutch uses blijven to express the English 'keep on doing', such as blijven lachen for 'keep laughing', which treats the action as a state one remains in.
Examples in context
- Ik zal daar blijven.I will stay there.This sentence is useful for expressing a future intention to stay somewhere using blijven.Tatoeba #699570 by martinod, translation #1944309 by kerbear407
- Ik wil hier blijven.I want to stay here.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to stay in a specific location using blijven.Tatoeba #4491471 by Raizin, translation #253464 by CK
- Kan je lang blijven?Can you stay long?This sentence is useful for asking about the duration of a stay using blijven.Tatoeba #6166279 by PaulP, translation #3184882 by CK
- Blijf je vanavond bij mij slapen?Are you staying at my place tonight?
- Blijf alsjeblieft nog even, we drinken samen een biertje.Please stay a little longer, let's have a beer together.
- 326 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lisa and Levi are at a party and deciding whether to leave.
- LisaWil je nog een beetje blijven?Do you want to stay a little longer?
- LeviNee, ik ga nu echt weg.No, I am really leaving now.
- LisaJammer, ik wilde graag blijven.That's a shame, I wanted to stay.
- LeviMisschien een volgende keer, Lisa.Maybe next time, Lisa.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stay” translations and entries blijven, verblijven, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries blijven, verblijven, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
