Det gjør så vondt i ankelen at jeg ikke kan gå.

It hurts so much in my ankle that I can't walk.

Breakdown of Det gjør så vondt i ankelen at jeg ikke kan gå.

• jeg: I
• gå: to walk
• i: in
• det: it

Questions & Answers about Det gjør så vondt i ankelen at jeg ikke kan gå.

Why does the sentence start with det?

In Norwegian, det is often used as a kind of dummy subject in sentences about weather, general situations, or bodily sensations.

Here, Det gjør så vondt ... literally looks like It does so painful ..., but the natural meaning is simply It hurts so much ...

So det does not refer to a specific thing. It is just there because Norwegian usually wants a subject in the sentence.

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What does gjør vondt mean, and why is gjør used here?

Gjøre vondt is a fixed expression meaning to hurt or to be painful.

• Det gjør vondt = It hurts
• Det gjør veldig vondt = It hurts a lot

A learner might expect something like er vondt because vondt looks like an adjective, but with physical pain Norwegian commonly uses gjøre vondt, not just være vondt.

So:

• Det gjør vondt i ryggen = My back hurts / It hurts in my back
• Det gjør vondt i ankelen = My ankle hurts

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Why is it vondt and not vond?