blive + Adjective

Become + Adjective (Blive)

Level 4

The verb blive is used with an adjective to show that someone or something is transitioning into a new state (e.g., 'getting tired' or 'becoming happy').

How It Works

In Danish, blive is the primary way to express 'to become' or 'to get' when followed by an adjective. It is essential to remember three main rules when using this pattern:

1. Adjective Agreement: The adjective following blive must agree with the subject in gender and number.

  • Common gender: Han blev sur (no ending).
  • Neuter gender: Barnet blev surt (adds -t).
  • Plural: De blev sure (adds -e).

2. Perfect Tense: Because blive indicates a change of state, it uses er as its auxiliary verb in the perfect tense, never har. For example: Jeg er blevet træt (I have become tired).

3. Future States: The present tense bliver is frequently used to express a future state where English would use 'will be'. For example: Det bliver dyrt (It will be expensive).

Note on other meanings: While blive primarily means 'become' when followed by an adjective or noun, it also means 'to stay' or 'to remain' when used with a location (e.g., Bliv her!). Additionally, it is used as the auxiliary verb to form the passive voice.

Examples (5)

  1. Han blev meget overrasket over nyheden.

    He was/became very surprised by the news.

    Word by Word: He became very surprised over the-news.

    Here, 'blev' shows the transition from not knowing the news to being surprised.

  2. Det bliver hurtigt mørkt om vinteren.

    It gets dark quickly in the winter.

    Word by Word: It becomes quickly dark in the-winter.

    This describes a recurring change of state using the present tense 'bliver'.

  3. Børnene er blevet trætte efter turen.

    The children have become tired after the trip.

    Word by Word: The-children are become tired after the-trip.

    Note the plural ending '-e' on 'trætte' to match 'børnene', and the use of 'er' for the perfect tense.

  4. Jeg bliver altid glad, når solen skinner.

    I always get happy when the sun shines.

    Word by Word: I become always happy, when the-sun shines.

    A general statement about a change in emotional state.

  5. Huset blev helt hvidt efter snevejret.

    The house became completely white after the snowy weather.

    Word by Word: The-house became completely white after the-snow-weather.

    The adjective 'hvidt' takes a '-t' because 'hus' is a neuter noun (et hus).

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'har' instead of 'er' in the perfect tense.

    Jeg har blevet syg.
    Jeg er blevet syg.

    The verb 'blive' takes 'være' (er) in the perfect tense: 'Jeg er blevet syg.' So do some other verbs of change or movement, such as 'komme' and 'rejse'.

  • Forgetting adjective agreement.

    Pigerne blev træt.
    Pigerne blev trætte.

    Adjectives must agree with the subject. Since 'pigerne' (the girls) is plural, the adjective 'træt' must add an '-e'.

  • Using 'få' to mean 'get' with an adjective.

    Jeg fik sur.
    Jeg blev sur.

    English speakers often use 'få' because it translates to 'get', but 'få' is for receiving things. For 'getting' a quality or state, you must use 'blive'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

blive + AdjectiveLevel 4Become + Adjective (Blive)

Learn This First

To use 'blive' with an adjective, you need to understand the verb 'blive' itself and how adjectives change their endings to match the subject they describe (gender and number agreement).

Words in This Pattern

blive