Mit ur går ikke.

Breakdown of Mit ur går ikke.

mit
my
ikke
not
uret
the watch
to run

Questions & Answers about Mit ur går ikke.

Why is it mit and not min?

Because ur is a neuter noun in Danish. Its basic form is et ur, so the possessive adjective must match that gender:

  • en-word → min
  • et-word → mit

So:

  • min bil = my car
  • mit ur = my watch / my clock
What exactly does ur mean?

Ur can mean a clock or a watch. Danish often uses the same word for both.

So Mit ur går ikke could mean:

  • My watch isn’t working
  • My clock isn’t working

The exact meaning depends on context.

Why does Danish use går here? Doesn’t that normally mean walks or goes?

Yes, går usually means goes, walks, or is going in many contexts. But with clocks and watches, Danish uses idiomatically to mean run, work, or keep time.

So:

  • Uret går = the clock/watch is running
  • Uret går ikke = the clock/watch is not running / not working

This is similar to older or more idiomatic English, where people sometimes say a clock runs.

Could I also say Mit ur virker ikke?

Yes. Mit ur virker ikke is also correct and very natural.

There is a slight difference in feel:

  • Mit ur går ikke = my watch/clock has stopped; it is not running
  • Mit ur virker ikke = my watch/clock does not work

In many everyday situations, both are fine.

Why does ikke come after går?

In a simple main clause in Danish, the negation ikke usually comes after the finite verb.

So the structure is:

  • Mit ur = subject
  • går = finite verb
  • ikke = not

That gives:

  • Mit ur går ikke

This is a very common Danish word order pattern.

Is there a difference between ur and klokke?

Yes, often there is.

  • ur = a clock or watch as an object that tells time
  • klokke = can mean clock, but also bell

In modern everyday Danish:

  • armbåndsur = wristwatch
  • vægur = wall clock

But ur by itself is very common and natural for a timepiece. So Mit ur går ikke is a normal sentence.

Why isn’t there a word for is in the sentence?

Because Danish does not need a separate verb like is here. The verb går already carries the meaning of runs / works / is running.

English often says:

  • My watch is not working

Danish says more directly:

  • Mit ur går ikke
  • literally closer to: My watch goes not
  • naturally: My watch isn’t working

So this is just a difference in how the two languages express the idea.

How do you pronounce Mit ur går ikke?

A rough guide for an English speaker is:

  • Mitmid with a short i
  • ur ≈ something like oor, but with a Danish u sound
  • gårgor with a broad vowel
  • ikkeIG-uh or eg-uh, depending on accent and speaking style

A very rough whole-sentence approximation might be:

mid oor gor EG-uh

But Danish pronunciation varies a lot by region, and the real sounds are softer and more reduced than this spelling suggests.

Can ur be definite here, like my the watch?

No. When Danish uses a possessive like my, your, his, and so on, the noun usually stays indefinite.

So you say:

  • mit ur = my watch

not:

  • mit uret

This is similar to English, where we say my watch, not my the watch.

What is the dictionary form of går?

The dictionary form is .

In this sentence:

  • = infinitive
  • går = present tense

So:

  • Uret går = the watch runs / is working
  • Uret gik = the watch was running / went
  • Uret har gået = the watch has been running / has gone

With clocks and watches, remember that has this special idiomatic meaning.

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