Jeg bliver træt af arbejdet.

Breakdown of Jeg bliver træt af arbejdet.

jeg
I
af
of
blive
to become
træt
tired
arbejdet
the job
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Questions & Answers about Jeg bliver træt af arbejdet.

What exactly does bliver mean here? Is it become, get, or will be?

In Jeg bliver træt af arbejdet, bliver mainly means get or become:

  • Jeg bliver træt af arbejdet
    I get / I’m getting tired of the work / my job.

So here:

  • It is not a simple am (that would be er).
  • It can sometimes be translated as will get in English, depending on context, but grammatically it is present tense in Danish, not future.

You can think of bliver as expressing a change of state:

  • jeg er træt = I am tired (state)
  • jeg bliver træt = I become / get tired (process, change)

Why is it bliver and not er in this sentence?

Because the sentence focuses on starting to be tired (or repeatedly getting tired), not just being tired.

  • Jeg er træt af arbejdet
    = I am tired of the work (the state is already there).

  • Jeg bliver træt af arbejdet
    = I (keep) get(ting) tired of the work / I’m becoming tired of the work.

So:

  • er describes an existing state.
  • bliver describes entering that state or tending to enter it.

Is Jeg bliver træt af arbejdet talking about now or about something that happens regularly?

It can be either, depending on context. Danish present tense is flexible:

  1. Right now / around now:

    • Said after a long day: Jeg bliver træt af arbejdet
      → I’m getting tired of the work (these days / right now).
  2. Habitual / repeated:

    • Describing a pattern: Jeg bliver altid træt af arbejdet om eftermiddagen.
      → I always get tired of work in the afternoon.

Context (adverbs like altid, nu, for tiden) and the situation decide whether English should use get, am getting, or keep getting.


Does træt af mean physically tired from work or fed up with work?

træt af usually means mentally tired of / fed up with / sick of something.

In this sentence:

  • Jeg bliver træt af arbejdet
    most naturally means
    I’m getting tired of the work / I’m getting fed up with the job.

To talk clearly about physical tiredness caused by work, you’d normally make that explicit:

  • Jeg bliver træt efter arbejdet.
    = I get tired after work.
  • Jeg er træt, fordi jeg har arbejdet meget.
    = I’m tired because I’ve worked a lot.

So:

  • træt af X → usually fed up with X
  • træt efter / af at arbejde → more like tired from working (physical or overall exhaustion).

Why is it af arbejdet and not af arbejde or med arbejdet?

All three can exist, but they mean different things.

  1. af arbejdet (with the definite form):

    • Focus on this specific work / my (current) job.
    • Jeg bliver træt af arbejdet.
      → I’m getting tired of the work / my job (the one I have).
  2. af arbejde (without the -t ending):

    • More general: work as an activity.
    • Jeg bliver træt af arbejde.
      → I’m getting tired of work (as a general thing, working in general).
  3. med arbejdet:

    • Usually means with the work in the sense of together with or regarding progress:
    • Jeg er færdig med arbejdet.
      → I’m finished with the work.
    • Hvordan går det med arbejdet?
      → How is the work going?

So af arbejdet in your sentence is about being fed up with a particular job or workload, not about work in the abstract, and not about progress.


What is the difference between arbejde and arbejdet?

arbejde is the base form (indefinite), and arbejdet is the definite form (like the work).

  • arbejde:

    • Can mean work in general, or a job (indefinite):
    • Jeg har arbejde. = I have a job / I am employed.
    • Han søger arbejde. = He is looking for work / a job.
  • arbejdet:

    • Literally the work (a specific work/task), and often the job:
    • Jeg kan godt lide arbejdet. = I like the job / the work.
    • Jeg bliver træt af arbejdet. = I’m getting tired of the work / my job.

So in your sentence, arbejdet points to a particular, known job or workload.


Can arbejdet mean both the work and the job?

Yes, in many real-life contexts arbejdet can be understood as either, and English translation depends on what makes sense.

  • Jeg bliver træt af arbejdet.
    • Could be:
      • I’m getting tired of the work (the tasks, the workload).
      • I’m getting tired of the job (the employment itself).

If the context is about tasks or workload, you’d translate it as the work.
If the context is about the position / employment, you’d translate as the job.

Danish is happy with the one word arbejdet where English often has to choose.


Could you say Jeg bliver af arbejdet træt instead? Why or why not?

No, that would be wrong or at least sound very unnatural.

Basic Danish word order for this kind of sentence is:

  • Subject – Verb – (Adverb) – Complement
  • Jeg (subject) bliver (verb) træt (adjective complement) af arbejdet (prepositional phrase linked to træt).

So the normal and correct order is:

  • Jeg bliver træt af arbejdet.

Putting af arbejdet before træt breaks the natural link between træt and af and doesn’t follow standard Danish word order.


What is the difference between Jeg bliver træt af arbejdet and Jeg er træt af arbejdet?

They are close, but the focus is slightly different:

  • Jeg er træt af arbejdet

    • State: I am (already) tired of the work.
    • Neutral statement of how you feel now.
  • Jeg bliver træt af arbejdet

    • Change / development:
      • I’m becoming tired of the work.
      • I keep getting tired of the work.
    • Often suggests it’s growing, building up, or a recurring reaction.

In English you might feel the same nuance:

  • I am tired of my job. (fact, current state)
  • I’m getting tired of my job. (it’s starting to be too much / building up).

How would you clearly say I’m tired from work (because of working), not tired of work (fed up)?

To express tired because of work (physical or general exhaustion), you usually avoid træt af arbejdet (which sounds like fed up).

More natural options:

  1. Jeg er træt efter arbejde(t).
    = I’m tired after work.

  2. Jeg er træt, fordi jeg har arbejdet hele dagen.
    = I’m tired because I’ve worked all day.

  3. Jeg er træt på grund af arbejdet.
    = I’m tired because of the work.
    (Can be physical or mental, but not usually “fed up with”.)

  4. Arbejdet gør mig træt.
    = Work makes me tired.

So:

  • træt af arbejdet → usually fed up with the work.
  • træt efter / på grund af arbejdet → tired from work.

How do you pronounce bliver and arbejdet?

Approximate, for an English speaker:

  • bliver

    • IPA: /ˈbliːʊɐ̯/ or /ˈbliːvə/ (varies by region)
    • Roughly like BLEE-vuh, but the -ver is quite weak and can sound almost like -vă with a soft, reduced vowel.
  • arbejdet

    • IPA: /ˈɑːbɑjðð̩/ (again, varies a bit)
    • Rough guide: AR-bye-dh:
      • ar as in father but shorter.
      • bejbye.
      • The d is very soft, like a voiced th in this, and the final -et is not a clear -et; it’s more like a weak syllable or even just lengthening of the soft d.

Danish often reduces endings, so don’t expect every letter to be clearly pronounced.