Breakdown of Du bliver jo svimmel.
du
you
blive
to stay / to become
jo
you know (modal particle, shared knowledge)
svimmel
dizzy
Questions & Answers about Du bliver jo svimmel.
Why is bliver translated as "are getting" instead of "become"?
The verb blive literally means "to become". However, in English we usually say we are "getting" dizzy rather than "becoming" dizzy. When blive is paired with an adjective like svimmel, it describes a change in state, which often translates best as "getting" or "turning".
Does the adjective svimmel change if the subject is plural?
Yes! When you use blive with an adjective, the adjective still has to match the subject. If you change the subject to a plural like I (you all) or vi (we), you must add an -e. Because of its spelling, svimmel drops the last e before adding the plural -e, becoming svimle. For example: I bliver jo svimle.
What exactly does jo mean here?
The word jo is a small particle used to show that the speaker thinks the listener already knows this, or that it is an obvious fact. It doesn't have one single English translation, but it often translates to "you know", "obviously", or "after all". Here, it gives the feeling of "You are getting dizzy, you know (and we can both see why)."
Why is jo placed between the verb and the adjective?