When you're just starting out in Danish (A1 level), verbs like "blive" are really useful. You'll use it a lot to talk about things changing or staying the same.
Think of it as meaning "to become" or "to stay." For example, if you say something "bliver kold," it means it's becoming cold. If you say "han bliver hjemme," it means he's staying home.
It's a regular verb, so it follows pretty standard patterns. Getting comfortable with verbs like this early on will make a big difference in how quickly you can start building simple sentences.
You'll often see it with adjectives or adverbs to describe a state or a change in state.
§ What does blive mean?
The Danish verb blive is super useful. It's an A1 word, so you'll hear and use it a lot right away. It primarily means 'to become' or 'to stay'. English doesn't really have one word that covers both, which can be a bit confusing at first, but you'll get the hang of it.
Think of 'to become' when something changes from one state to another. Like becoming tired, becoming rich, or becoming a doctor. It's about transformation.
- DEFINITION
- To change into a new state or condition; to grow to be.
Jeg vil blive
Hint: I want to become a doctor.
Han blev
Hint: He became tired after work.
Then there's 'to stay'. This is about remaining in a certain place or condition. It's about not moving or not changing.
- DEFINITION
- To continue in a place, condition, or position; to remain.
Jeg vil blive
Hint: I want to stay home tonight.
Han blev
Hint: He stayed calm, even though it was difficult.
§ When do people use it?
Danes use 'blive' all the time for both these meanings. You'll hear it in everyday conversations, news, and even songs.
For 'to become', it's common when talking about:
- Changes in emotions or physical states: blive glad (to become happy), blive syg (to become sick).
- Changes in professions or roles: blive lærer (to become a teacher), blive forælder (to become a parent).
- Changes in weather or time: det bliver koldt (it's getting cold), det bliver mørkt (it's getting dark).
Jeg bliver
Hint: I become happy when the sun shines.
For 'to stay', it's frequently used for:
- Remaining in a location: blive her (to stay here), blive i sengen (to stay in bed).
- Maintaining a state or condition: blive venner (to stay friends), blive siddende (to stay seated).
- Waiting for someone or something: jeg bliver og venter (I'll stay and wait).
Kan du blive
Hint: Can you stay here for a moment?
Don't overthink it too much. The more you read and listen to Danish, the more natural it will become to know which meaning is intended. For now, just remember these two core uses.
Modèles grammaticaux
Structures de phrases
Jeg vil gerne [blive] + [profession/tilstand]
Jeg vil gerne blive læge. (I would like to become a doctor.)
Han/hun/den/det vil gerne [blive] + [profession/tilstand]
Hun vil gerne blive træt. (She wants to become tired.)
Vi vil gerne [blive] + [profession/tilstand]
Vi vil gerne blive hjemme. (We would like to stay home.)
De vil gerne [blive] + [profession/tilstand]
De vil gerne blive glade. (They want to become happy.)
Jeg er [blevet] + [profession/tilstand]
Jeg er blevet ældre. (I have become older.)
Du er [blevet] + [profession/tilstand]
Du er blevet højere. (You have become taller.)
Han/hun/den/det er [blevet] + [profession/tilstand]
Han er blevet kold. (He has become cold.)
Vi er [blevet] + [profession/tilstand]
Vi er blevet venner. (We have become friends.)
Teste-toi 30 questions
Which of these means 'to become'?
'At blive' means 'to become' or 'to stay'. The other options are 'to eat', 'to drink', and 'to sleep'.
How would you say 'I want to become a doctor'?
'Jeg vil blive læge' correctly uses 'blive' to mean 'become'. The other options are grammatically incorrect or have different meanings.
Which sentence uses 'blive' to mean 'to stay'?
'Jeg vil blive hjemme' means 'I want to stay home', using 'blive' in the sense of 'to stay'. The other sentences don't use 'blive'.
The word 'blive' can mean 'to become'.
'Blive' has a dual meaning, including 'to become'.
The sentence 'Jeg vil blive glad' means 'I want to eat happy'.
'Jeg vil blive glad' means 'I want to become happy'.
'Blive' can be used to say 'to stay' in a place.
You can use 'blive' to express staying somewhere, like 'Jeg vil blive her' (I want to stay here).
The speaker wants to improve their Danish.
He has become a teacher.
She wants to stay home today.
Read this aloud:
Jeg vil blive læge.
Focus: blive
Tu as dit :
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Read this aloud:
Vi bliver her.
Focus: bliver
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
De er blevet glade.
Focus: blevet
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Imagine you are planning a small party. Write three sentences about what you want to become or stay (blive) at the party. For example, 'Jeg vil gerne blive glad' (I want to become happy).
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Jeg håber, at festen vil blive hyggelig. Jeg vil gerne blive sent oppe. Alle skal blive glade.
You are describing changes in your life. Write three sentences using 'blive' to talk about things that have become or stayed different. For example, 'Jeg er blevet bedre til at lave mad' (I have become better at cooking).
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Min hobby er blevet mere interessant. Jeg er blevet bedre til dansk. Vejret er blevet koldere.
Write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) about a time you had to 'blive' (stay) somewhere longer than expected. What did you do? How did you feel?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Jeg skulle blive på kontoret sent i går. Det var ikke sjovt. Jeg blev nødt til at vente på en vigtig e-mail. Det blev en lang aften.
Hvorfor blev Klaus hjemme i sommerferien?
Read this passage:
Klaus's sommerferie skulle have været afslappende, men det blev den ikke. Han skulle blive i Danmark, men pludselig blev han syg. Han måtte blive hjemme i stedet for at rejse. Han håbede, han snart ville blive rask.
Hvorfor blev Klaus hjemme i sommerferien?
Teksten siger, at 'pludselig blev han syg' og 'han måtte blive hjemme i stedet for at rejse'.
Teksten siger, at 'pludselig blev han syg' og 'han måtte blive hjemme i stedet for at rejse'.
Hvad var Annas drøm?
Read this passage:
Anna elskede at bage. Hendes drøm var at blive en professionel bager. Hun begyndte at øve sig hver dag, og hendes kager blev bedre og bedre. Hun vidste, at hun ville blive glad, hvis hun kunne leve af at bage.
Hvad var Annas drøm?
Passagen siger 'Hendes drøm var at blive en professionel bager'.
Passagen siger 'Hendes drøm var at blive en professionel bager'.
Hvorfor besluttede fortælleren at blive under et tag?
Read this passage:
Regnen begyndte, og gaden blev våd. Folk skyndte sig for at komme indendørs. Jeg besluttede at blive under et lille tag og vente på, at regnen ville stoppe. Det blev en lang ventetid.
Hvorfor besluttede fortælleren at blive under et tag?
Fortælleren ville 'undgå at blive våd' (implied) ved at 'blive under et lille tag og vente på, at regnen ville stoppe'.
Fortælleren ville 'undgå at blive våd' (implied) ved at 'blive under et lille tag og vente på, at regnen ville stoppe'.
This sentence means 'He wants to become a doctor.' 'Blive' is used here to mean 'become'.
This means 'It will be cold tonight.' 'Bliver' (a form of 'blive') indicates a change in state.
This translates to 'We should stay home today.' Here, 'blive' means 'stay'.
Efter mange års erfaring i branchen, er han nu klar til at ___ administrerende direktør for virksomheden.
To 'blive' means to become, which fits the context of someone transitioning to a new role.
Det er vigtigt at ___ ved dine principper, selv når det er svært.
To 'blive ved' means to stick with or stay with something, implying adherence to principles.
Selvom vejret er dårligt, håber jeg, at vi kan ___ optimister.
To 'blive' in this context means to remain or stay, referring to maintaining a state of optimism.
Han ville ikke ___ en del af problemet, så han trak sig tilbage.
To 'blive en del af' means to become a part of something.
Efter operationen skal du ___ på sengen i mindst et døgn.
To 'blive på' means to stay on or remain on, indicating a need to stay in bed.
Det er afgørende, at vi alle ___ enige om den endelige løsning.
To 'blive enige' means to agree or become in agreement, a common idiom.
/ 30 correct
Perfect score!
