Min ryg bliver stiv, når jeg sidder længe.

I

Breakdown of Min ryg bliver stiv, når jeg sidder længe.

• sidde: to sit
• min: my
• blive: to become

Questions & Answers about Min ryg bliver stiv, når jeg sidder længe.

Why is it min ryg and not mit ryg?

Because ryg is a common gender noun in Danish, so it takes min in the singular.

• en ryg = a back
• min ryg = my back

If the noun were neuter, you would use mit instead:

• et ben = a leg
• mit ben = my leg

So the possessive has to match the grammatical gender of the noun.

What does bliver mean here?

Bliver is the present tense of at blive, which often means to become.

So here:

• Min ryg bliver stiv = My back becomes stiff

In natural English, that is often translated as My back gets stiff.

This is a very common use of blive in Danish when something changes state:

• Jeg bliver træt = I get tired
• Det bliver koldt = It gets cold

Why is stiv used without an ending?