Stay (verb) — to remain in a place and not leave; to continue in a particular condition or state. Stay (noun) — a period of time spent in a place, especially as a guest or patient. Example: How long are you planning to stay in London?
Etymology
The verb stay entered Middle English in the 15th century, derived from the Old French ester meaning "to stand" or "to remain", which itself came from the Latin stare ("to stand"). The same Latin root gives English words such as station, stable, statute, and state.
In early use, stay also carried the sense of stopping or halting something in its tracks — a meaning still preserved in legal language: a judge may "stay" proceedings, meaning to suspend or postpone them.
The noun sense — a period of time spent somewhere — developed naturally from the verb and has been common in English since at least the 16th century, appearing in phrases such as "a stay at court" or "a short stay in the country".
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| Can you stay here for a minute? | A2 | Basic imperative / request with stay + place adverb |
| We stayed in a small hotel near the beach. | B1 | Past simple; stay + in + place to describe temporary accommodation |
| How long are you planning to stay in London? | B1 | Future plan with plan + infinitive; stay + in + city |
| Despite the bad weather, she decided to stay calm and carry on. | B2 | Stay + adjective as a linking verb meaning "remain in a state" |
| The consultant advised that all non-essential staff stay away from the premises until further notice. | C1 | Formal register; subjunctive-like use; stay away from as a phrasal verb |
Common Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| stay overnight | We decided to stay overnight rather than drive home in the dark. |
| stay calm | It is important to stay calm in an emergency. |
| stay in touch | Let's stay in touch after you move abroad. |
| stay focused | She found it hard to stay focused during the long meeting. |
| stay up late | He often stays up late to watch football matches. |
| stay behind | A few students were asked to stay behind after class. |
| stay put | The doctor told her to stay put for at least a week. |
| a short stay | After a short stay in hospital, he was back at work. |
| an overnight stay | The conference included an overnight stay at a local hotel. |
| stay the night | It is too late to drive — you should stay the night. |
Usage Notes
Key points for learners
- Stay as a linking verb: When stay is followed by an adjective (stay calm, stay quiet, stay healthy), it functions as a linking verb meaning "continue to be". Do not use an adverb here: say stay calm, not stay calmly.
- Stay vs. live: Use stay for a temporary situation ("I am staying with friends this week") and live for a permanent or long-term home ("I live in Bristol"). Mixing these up is a very common mistake at lower levels.
- Stay + preposition: Stay is used with in for cities and countries ("stay in Paris"), at for specific places ("stay at a hotel / at a friend's house"), and with for people ("stay with relatives").
- Stay as a noun: The noun is always countable: "a short stay", "an enjoyable stay", "two stays in hospital". It is not used in the uncountable sense.
- Phrasal verbs with stay: Common phrasal verbs include stay out (remain outside or out late), stay up (not go to bed), stay away from (avoid), and stay on (remain longer than planned).
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I am staying at London for three days.
I am staying in London for three days. (use in with cities and countries)
She stayed calmly during the interview.
She stayed calm during the interview. (stay is a linking verb here — use an adjective, not an adverb)
We stay there since Monday.
We have been staying there since Monday. (use present perfect continuous for an action that started in the past and is still ongoing)