blijf

Blijf is a Dutch word meaning stay or remain. It functions as the imperative form of the verb blijven (to stay, to remain) and is used to instruct someone to stay where they are or to continue a state of being. For informal, singular address, the typical imperative is Blijf! as in Blijf hier (Stay here) or Blijf kalm (Stay calm). In formal address, the imperative is formed with the 3rd person singular used with the pronoun u, as in Blijft u alstublieft hier (Please stay here). The form Blijft can also appear in this formal imperative when combined with u, for example Blijft u rustig.

Beyond the imperative, blijft is part of the present tense conjugation of blijven: ik blijf, jij blijft, hij blijft, wij blijven, jullie blijven, zij blijven. These forms express ongoing action or state, such as Ik blijf hier today (I stay here today) or Jij blijft werken (You stay/work on it). The verb blijven is historically a basic, core verb in Dutch, with related tenses including bleef (past) and gebleven (past participle). It also occurs in many common phrases and idioms, for example Blijf van mijn lijf meaning “Stay away from me” or “Keep off my body.”

In usage, Blijf is common in everyday speech, formal communication, and written Dutch. As a stem, blijft appears in compound tenses and subordinate clauses, while the imperative Blijf and Blijft u provide direct ways to request steadiness or adherence to an instruction. Overall, Blijf exemplifies how a single form functions across mood, voice, and tense in Dutch grammar.