Breakdown of Mina ben gör ont, jag orkar inte stå på båda två.
jag
I
inte
not
göra
to do, to make
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
Questions & Answers about Mina ben gör ont, jag orkar inte stå på båda två.
Why use båda två here instead of just båda?
Båda and båda två both mean "both," but adding två (two) makes it act a bit more like the English phrase "both of them." It strongly emphasizes the pair, which is very natural in spoken Swedish when talking about two distinct things like a pair of legs. You could use just båda here, but båda två is very common and sounds great.
Why doesn't the phrase gör ont change to match the plural "legs"?
Att göra ont is a fixed expression meaning "to hurt" or "to ache" (literally "to make bad"). Because it's a fixed phrase, the word ont doesn't change its form to match plural subjects. Whether it is one leg or two, they still gör ont.
How exactly does the verb orkar work here?
Att orka is a very common Swedish verb that means having the physical or mental stamina to do something. English doesn't have a single word for it, so it translates to "have the energy to," "manage to," or "can bear to." Here, it means the legs hurt so much that the person lacks the physical strength to stand.
Why is the word for "legs" just ben? Shouldn't it have a plural ending?