Back pain after long meetings | Learn German in English

About This Lesson

Use Back pain after long meetings to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Meine Rückenschmerzen werden nach langen Besprechungen schlimmer.

MY-nuh RUEK-en-shmair-tsen VAIR-den nahkh LAHNG-en beh-SHPREKH-oong-en SHLIM-er. My back pain gets worse after long meetings.

Dein Stuhl hilft dir vielleicht nicht, aufrecht zu sitzen.

DINE SHTOOL HILFT deer fee-LYKHt nikht, OWF-rekht tsoo ZIT-sen. Your chair may not help you maintain good posture.

Soll ich öfter kurze Pausen machen?

ZOLL ikh URF-ter KOORT-suh POW-zen MAKH-en? Should I take more short breaks?

Kurze Pausen können helfen.

KUR-tsuh POW-zen KUR-nen HEL-fen. Short breaks can help.

Steh auf und strecke dich vorsichtig.

SHTAY OWF oont SHTREK-kuh dikh FOR-zikh-tikh. Stand up and stretch gently.

Ich muss auch die Höhe meines Bildschirms anpassen.

ikh MOOSS OWKH dee HUR-uh MY-nes BILT-shirmss AHN-pah-sen. I also need to adjust my screen height.

Das kann dir helfen, bequemer zu sitzen.

DAHS KAN deer HEL-fen, beh-KVAY-mer tsoo ZIT-sen. That can help you sit more comfortably.

Ich werde diese Änderungen diese Woche ausprobieren.

ikh VAIR-duh DEE-zuh END-er-oong-en DEE-zuh VOHKH-uh OWS-proh-BEER-en. I will try these changes this week.

Hol dir medizinische Hilfe, wenn die Schmerzen anhalten.

HOHL deer meh-dee-TSEE-nih-shuh HIL-fuh, VENN dee SHMAIR-tsen AHN-hahl-ten. See a healthcare professional if the pain continues.

Word by Word

Meine “Meine” means “my” in “Meine Rückenschmerzen”. It is the form of “mein” used here with the plural noun “Rückenschmerzen”; use a possessive form before the thing that belongs to someone.

Rückenschmerzen “Rückenschmerzen” means back pain in this dialogue. It is used as the subject in “Meine Rückenschmerzen werden nach langen Besprechungen schlimmer”; a new example is “Ich habe Rückenschmerzen” for saying that you have back pain.

werden “Werden” means get or become in “Meine Rückenschmerzen werden nach langen Besprechungen schlimmer.” It shows that the condition changes, and it commonly appears with an adjective such as “schlimmer”.

nach “Nach” means after in “nach langen Besprechungen”. It places the worsening after an event or time period; use it before the event that comes first in time.

langen “Langen” means long in “nach langen Besprechungen”. It is the form of “lang” used before the plural noun “Besprechungen” in this phrase; use an adjective before the noun it describes.

Besprechungen “Besprechungen” means meetings in “nach langen Besprechungen”. It is the plural form of “Besprechung” and names the events after which the back pain gets worse.

schlimmer “Schlimmer” means worse in “werden ... schlimmer”. It describes an increase in how bad the pain is; use it with “werden” when a condition becomes worse.

Dein “Dein” means your in “Dein Stuhl”. It is the possessive form used here before “Stuhl”; use a possessive form before a noun belonging to the person you are addressing.

Stuhl “Stuhl” means chair in “Dein Stuhl hilft dir vielleicht nicht”. It identifies the chair being discussed as a possible cause of poor sitting posture.

hilft “Hilft” means helps in “Dein Stuhl hilft dir vielleicht nicht”. It is the dialogue form of “helfen” with “Dein Stuhl” as the thing that may provide help; “helfen” commonly takes the person helped with “dir”.

dir “Dir” refers to you as the person helped in “hilft dir”. It is the form of “du” used for the recipient of help; use “jemandem helfen” when saying that someone helps a person.

vielleicht “Vielleicht” means perhaps or maybe in “Dein Stuhl hilft dir vielleicht nicht”. It makes the statement less certain and softens the suggestion about the chair.

nicht “Nicht” means not in “hilft dir vielleicht nicht, aufrecht zu sitzen”. It negates the idea that the chair helps you sit upright; place it in the sentence to mark what is being denied.

aufrecht “Aufrecht” means upright in “aufrecht zu sitzen”. It describes the desired sitting posture; “aufrecht sitzen” is a useful pattern for talking about sitting with the upper body straight.

zu “Zu” marks the infinitive in “aufrecht zu sitzen”. Together with “sitzen”, it connects the action of sitting to “hilft”; use “zu” before an infinitive in this kind of construction.

sitzen “Sitzen” means sit in “aufrecht zu sitzen” and “bequemer zu sitzen”. It names the action affected by the help, and it remains in the infinitive after “zu”.

Soll “Soll” asks should in “Soll ich öfter kurze Pausen machen?”. It is used to ask for advice about what the speaker ought to do; “Soll ich ...?” is a reusable way to ask for a recommendation.

ich “Ich” or “ich” means I; the dialogue uses “ich” after “Soll” and “Ich” at the beginning of other sentences. Use this pronoun for the person speaking about their own action or need.

öfter “Öfter” means more often in “öfter kurze Pausen machen”. It describes increased frequency; use it before or with an action when asking whether something should happen more frequently.

kurze “Kurze” means short in “kurze Pausen”. It is the form of “kurz” used before the plural noun “Pausen”; use it to describe breaks that do not last long.

Pausen “Pausen” means breaks in “kurze Pausen machen”. It is the plural form of “Pause” and refers here to short breaks from sitting or meetings.

machen “Machen” means take or make in “kurze Pausen machen”. The expression “Pausen machen” means take breaks; a new example is “Wir machen eine Pause” for saying that we are taking a break.

können “Können” means can in “Kurze Pausen können helfen”. It expresses that the breaks have the ability or possibility to help; it is followed here by the infinitive “helfen”.

helfen “Helfen” means help in “Kurze Pausen können helfen” and “kann dir helfen”. It is an infinitive after a modal verb or after “zu”, and the person receiving help can be introduced with “dir”.

Steh “Steh” gives the direct instruction stand in “Steh auf”. It is addressed to one person and works with “auf” to tell that person to stand up; use “Steh auf” for this practical instruction.

auf “Auf” completes the instruction “Steh auf”, meaning up in the phrase “stand up”. It contributes to the separable verb expression rather than describing the direction by itself; use it together with “Steh” here.

und “Und” means and in “Steh auf und strecke dich vorsichtig”. It joins the instruction to stand up with the next instruction to stretch; use it to connect actions or ideas.

strecke “Strecke” means stretch in “strecke dich vorsichtig”. It is an instruction to extend the body gently, and it is used with “dich” for the person doing the stretching.

dich “Dich” means yourself in “strecke dich vorsichtig”. It refers back to the person being instructed and completes the body-action expression “strecke dich”; reflexive body actions can use a pronoun referring to the person acting.

vorsichtig “Vorsichtig” means gently or carefully in “strecke dich vorsichtig”. It tells the person how to stretch and is useful when giving instructions for a movement that should be done with care.

muss “Muss” means need to or must in “Ich muss auch die Höhe meines Bildschirms anpassen”. It expresses the speaker’s necessity and is followed by the infinitive “anpassen”; use “Ich muss ...” to state a personal obligation or need.

auch “Auch” means also in “Ich muss auch ...”. It adds adjusting the screen height as another necessary action; use it when adding one more item to an existing idea.

die “Die” means the in “die Höhe meines Bildschirms”. It introduces the specific noun “Höhe” being discussed; use it before a noun when referring to a definite thing.

Höhe “Höhe” means height in “die Höhe meines Bildschirms”. It identifies the vertical position of the screen, and the phrase “die Höhe meines Bildschirms” can be reused when discussing that screen’s height.

meines “Meines” means my in “meines Bildschirms”. It is the form of “mein” used in the phrase “die Höhe meines Bildschirms”, showing which screen belongs to the speaker.

Bildschirms “Bildschirms” means screen in “meines Bildschirms”. It is the form of “Bildschirm” used after “die Höhe meines”; the complete phrase refers to the height of the speaker’s screen.

anpassen “Anpassen” means adjust in “die Höhe meines Bildschirms anpassen”. It is the infinitive after “muss” and takes the thing being changed as its object; use the pattern “etwas anpassen” for making a setting or position suitable.

Das “Das” means that in “Das kann dir helfen”. It refers to the screen-height adjustment just mentioned and lets the speaker comment on that whole action; use it to point back to a previously mentioned idea.

kann “Kann” means can in “Das kann dir helfen, bequemer zu sitzen”. It expresses that the adjustment may help, and it is followed by the infinitive “helfen”.

bequemer “Bequemer” means more comfortably in “bequemer zu sitzen”. It describes an improvement in the way the person sits; use it with “sitzen” when comparing a more comfortable sitting position.

werde “Werde” means will in “Ich werde diese Änderungen diese Woche ausprobieren”. It forms the future plan with the infinitive “ausprobieren”; “Ich werde ... ausprobieren” is a reusable pattern for saying what you plan to try.

diese “Diese” means these in “diese Änderungen”. It points to the specific changes discussed, such as taking breaks and adjusting the screen; use it before a plural noun for several identified items.

Änderungen “Änderungen” means changes in “diese Änderungen”. It is the plural form of “Änderung” and refers to the practical adjustments the speaker plans to try.

Woche “Woche” means week in “diese Woche”. This phrase identifies the time during which the speaker will try the changes; use “diese Woche” to refer to the current week.

ausprobieren “Ausprobieren” means try out in “diese Änderungen diese Woche ausprobieren”. It is the infinitive used with “werde” and takes the thing being tested as its object; use “etwas ausprobieren” when testing a method or change.

Hol “Hol” means get in “Hol dir medizinische Hilfe”. It is a direct instruction to obtain help, addressed to one person; use “Hol dir ...” when telling someone to get something for themselves.

medizinische “Medizinische” means medical in “medizinische Hilfe”. It specifies that the help should relate to health or treatment; use it before a health-related noun such as “Hilfe”.

Hilfe “Hilfe” means help or assistance in “medizinische Hilfe”. Here it refers to professional health support to obtain if the pain continues; the phrase “medizinische Hilfe” is useful when asking for health-related assistance.

wenn “Wenn” means if in “wenn die Schmerzen anhalten”. It introduces the condition under which the advice applies; use it before a condition such as continuing pain.

Schmerzen “Schmerzen” refers to pain in “die Schmerzen anhalten”. It names the pain discussed in the lesson, and “die Schmerzen” identifies it as the specific pain already being talked about.

anhalten “Anhalten” means continue or persist in “wenn die Schmerzen anhalten”. It describes pain that does not go away, and the pattern “wenn die Schmerzen anhalten” gives the condition for seeking medical help.

Grammar Points

schlimmer werden

Rückenschmerzen werden schlimmer.

RUEK-en-shmair-tsen VAIR-den SHLIM-er.

Back pain is getting worse.

The comparative form schlimmer means “worse” and comes after werden to describe a change.

aufstehen → Steh auf!

Steh auf und mach eine Pause.

SHTAY OWF oont MAKH EYE-nuh POW-zuh.

Stand up and take a break.

In the imperative, the separable prefix auf moves to the end: Steh auf.

German Vocabulary

aufrecht adv

OWF-rekht upright

aufstehen verb

OWF-SHTAY-en to stand up Steh auf

Besprechung noun

beh-SHPREKH-oong meeting Besprechungen

helfen verb

HEL-fen to help hilft

machen verb

MAKH-en to take; to make

öfter adv

URF-ter more often

Pause noun

POW-zuh break Pausen

Rückenschmerzen noun

RUEK-en-shmair-tsen back pain

schlimm adj

SHLIM bad; severe schlimmer

sitzen verb

ZIT-sen to sit

Stuhl noun

SHTOOL chair

werden verb

VAIR-den become; get

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Should I take more short breaks?

Show Answer

Soll ich öfter kurze Pausen machen?

Short breaks can help.

Show Answer

Kurze Pausen können helfen.

Stand up and stretch gently.

Show Answer

Steh auf und strecke dich vorsichtig.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

bad; severe

Show Answer

schlimmer

to help

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hilft

more often

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öfter

chair

Show Answer

Stuhl