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What does “nablijven” mean in Dutch?

Nablijven is the everyday Dutch term for detention — being kept at school after hours as a punishment. It is built from na (“after”) + blijven (“to stay”), so it literally describes exactly what happens: you stay after everyone else goes home. Dutch schools use it as a standard sanction, typically for undone homework, a bad result, or broken rules — and parents hear it with the same resigned familiarity as English-speakers hear “detention.”

In the clip, the mum cuts straight to the chase: “Je moest vandaag 1 uur nablijven op school om vervolgens een 4 te halen voor je wiskunde” — a double blow of detention and a failing maths grade that shuts down any chance of borrowing the car. The word slots naturally alongside the other school essentials learners meet early: huiswerk (homework), toets (test), and rapport (report card). Knowing nablijven lets you follow any Dutch school-based conversation where discipline comes up — and, as this clip shows, those conversations can spiral in unexpected directions.