Meaning and Usage
The verb bleiben means to stay or to remain in English. It is used to describe staying in a place, remaining in a particular state or condition, or continuing to be something. It is an important verb often used in everyday conversation and combines well with prepositions or adverbs to indicate duration or location.
Verb Type
Bleiben is an irregular verb in German. It is a strong verb, meaning it undergoes vowel changes in its stem when conjugated in different tenses. This irregularity makes it essential to learn its forms for correct usage in speech and writing.
Present Tense Conjugation
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | bleibe | I stay | Ich bleibe zu Hause. | I stay at home. |
| du | bleibst | you stay (sing.) | Du bleibst hier. | You stay here. |
| er/sie/es | bleibt | he/she/it stays | Er bleibt heute länger. | He stays longer today. |
| wir | bleiben | we stay | Wir bleiben im Hotel. | We stay in the hotel. |
| ihr | bleibt | you stay (pl.) | Ihr bleibt noch? | Are you still staying? |
| sie/Sie | bleiben | they/you stay (form) | Sie bleiben freundlich. | They stay friendly. |
Past Tense and Past Participle
In the perfect tense, bleiben uses the auxiliary verb sein and has the past participle geblieben. This is typical for verbs indicating a change of state or position.
Example in perfect tense:
- Ich bin zu Hause geblieben. (I have stayed at home.)
- Sie sind lange geblieben. (They have stayed long.)
Common Expressions with Bleiben
Bleiben is often used in fixed expressions such as:
- bleiben Sie dran – stay tuned
- bleiben Sie gesund – stay healthy
- bleiben wir bei der Sache – let's stick to the matter
- da bleiben, wo man ist – stay where you are
These phrases showcase the versatility of bleiben in conversation and writing.
