Questions & Answers about Ik blijf bij de kapper.
Why do we use bij here instead of in?
In Dutch, you use bij when you are "at" or "with" a person, including their home or place of business. Since de kapper literally refers to the person (the hairdresser), you use bij to mean you are at their shop.
Does bij always translate to "at"?
No, bij is quite versatile. Depending on the context, it can mean "at," "with," or "near." In this sentence, it translates best to "at." If you said Ik ben bij het station, it would mean "I am near the station."
How would I say I am going to the hairdresser, rather than staying there?
If you are talking about movement or direction toward a person or place, you switch to the preposition naar. You would say Ik ga naar de kapper.
What is the infinitive (dictionary form) of blijf?
The infinitive is blijven, which means "to stay" or "to remain." To make the ik (I) form, you simply drop the "-en" ending from the infinitive, giving you ik blijf.