Managing back pain from desk work | Learn German in English

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Use Managing back pain from desk work to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Mein unterer Rücken tut weh, nachdem ich den ganzen Tag an meinem Schreibtisch gesessen habe.

Myn OON-tuh-ruh RUEK-en toot VAY, NAHKH-daym ikh den GAN-tsen TAHK an MY-nem SHRYBE-tish guh-ZESS-en HAH-buh. My lower back hurts after sitting at my desk all day.

Dein Stuhl gibt dir vielleicht nicht genug Halt.

Dine SHTOOL gipt deer fee-LYKHT nikht guh-NOOK HAHLT. Your chair might not be giving you enough support.

Ich beuge mich auch nach vorne, weil mein Bildschirm zu weit weg ist.

Ikh BOY-guh mikh owkh nahkh FOR-nuh, vyle myn BILT-shirm tsoo vайт vek ist. I also lean forward because my monitor is too far away.

Wenn du den Bildschirm näher stellst, könnte das deinen Rücken entlasten.

Ven doo den BILT-shirm NAY-uh shtelst, KURN-tuh das DOY-nen RUEK-en ent-LAHS-ten. Moving the screen closer could take some pressure off your back.

Ich habe auch daran gedacht, mich in kurzen Pausen zu dehnen.

Ikh HAH-buh owkh da-RAN guh-DAKHt, mikh in KOORTS-en POW-zen tsoo DAY-nen. I was thinking about stretching during short breaks.

Leichtes Dehnen kann helfen, aber hör auf, wenn es die Schmerzen verstärkt.

LYKH-tes DAY-nen kan HEL-fen, AH-ber HOER owf, ven es dee SHMER-tsen fer-SHTERKT. Gentle stretching may help, but stop if it increases the pain.

Wenn es anhält, sollte ich wahrscheinlich professionelle Hilfe suchen.

Ven es an-HAYLT, ZOHL-tuh ikh VAHR-shine-likh pro-fess-ee-oh-NEHL-uh HIL-fuh ZOOKH-en. If it continues, I should probably see a professional.

Das gilt besonders, wenn sich die Schmerzen ausbreiten oder anfangen, deinen Schlaf zu beeinträchtigen.

Das gilt buh-ZON-ders, ven zikh dee SHMER-tsen OWS-brye-ten OH-der AN-fang-en, DOY-nen SHLAHF tsoo beh-EYNE-trekh-tih-gen. Especially if the pain spreads or starts affecting your sleep.

Diese Woche kann ich kleine Änderungen vornehmen und beobachten, ob sie helfen.

DEE-zuh VOKH-uh kan ikh KLY-nuh EN-duh-roong-en FOR-nay-men unt beh-OH-bakh-ten, op zee HEL-fen. This week, I can make small adjustments and track whether they help.

Regelmäßige Änderungen lassen sich normalerweise leichter beurteilen als eine einzige große Änderung.

RAY-gel-MAY-sih-guh EN-duh-roong-en LAHS-en zikh nor-mah-luh-VY-zuh LYKHT-er beh-oor-TYE-len als EYE-nuh EYE-n-tsih-guh GROH-suh EN-duh-roong. Consistent changes are usually easier to judge than one big change.

Word by Word

Mein ‘Mein’ means ‘my’ here and identifies Rücken as belonging to the speaker. It is the possessive form used before the masculine noun ‘Rücken’. Use ‘mein’ with a noun when referring to something belonging to you.

unterer ‘unterer’ means ‘lower’ and describes which part of the back hurts. It is the adjective form of ‘unter’ used before ‘Rücken’. Use it before a noun when distinguishing a lower part from another part.

Rücken ‘Rücken’ means ‘back’ here, specifically the part of the body that hurts. It is the subject of ‘tut weh’. Use ‘Rücken’ when talking about back position, support, or pain.

tut weh ‘tut weh’ means ‘hurts’ or ‘is painful’ in this dialogue. The expression combines ‘tut’, a form of ‘tun’, with ‘weh’ to describe pain affecting a body part. Use the pattern ‘Etwas tut weh’ when saying that something hurts.

nachdem ‘nachdem’ means ‘after’ and introduces the event that happened before the back pain was noticed. It introduces a subordinate clause, with the finite verb at the end in ‘gesessen habe’. Use ‘nachdem’ before a complete event or clause.

ich ‘ich’ means ‘I’ and is the subject of ‘gesessen habe’. It identifies the speaker as the person who was sitting. Use ‘ich’ when you are the subject of the sentence.

den ‘den’ means ‘the’ in the phrase ‘den ganzen Tag’. Here it marks ‘Tag’ as the object of the time expression. Use this article form in a masculine accusative phrase such as ‘den ganzen Tag’.

ganzen ‘ganzen’ means ‘whole’ or ‘entire’ in ‘den ganzen Tag’. It is the adjective form of ‘ganz’ used with the article and noun in this time expression. Use ‘den ganzen Tag’ to describe something continuing throughout the entire day.

Tag ‘Tag’ means ‘day’ here and forms the time expression ‘den ganzen Tag’. The phrase says that the sitting continued throughout the day. Use ‘Tag’ when referring to a day or a period lasting through a day.

an ‘an’ means ‘at’ or ‘by’ in ‘an meinem Schreibtisch’. It places the sitting at the desk, and the location phrase uses dative. Use ‘an’ with a place when describing being at or by that place.

meinem ‘meinem’ means ‘my’ in ‘an meinem Schreibtisch’. It is the dative form of ‘mein’ after the location phrase with ‘an’. Use this form before a masculine or neuter noun in a dative phrase.

Schreibtisch ‘Schreibtisch’ means ‘desk’, the place where the speaker has been sitting. It is the noun governed by ‘an’ in ‘an meinem Schreibtisch’. Use it when referring to a work or writing desk.

gesessen ‘gesessen’ means ‘sat’ or ‘been sitting’ in ‘gesessen habe’. It is the participle form of ‘sitzen’ and appears with ‘habe’ in the completed-time construction. Use ‘gesessen’ with ‘haben’ when describing having sat somewhere.

habe ‘habe’ means ‘have’ here as the auxiliary in ‘gesessen habe’. It is the first-person form of ‘haben’, and it appears at the end because the clause begins with ‘nachdem’. Use ‘habe’ with a participle when describing a completed action by yourself.

Dein ‘Dein’ means ‘your’ and identifies the chair as belonging to the person being addressed. It is the possessive form before ‘Stuhl’. Use ‘dein’ with a noun when referring to something belonging to one person you address informally.

Stuhl ‘Stuhl’ means ‘chair’ here, specifically the chair that may not provide enough support. It is the subject of ‘gibt’. Use ‘Stuhl’ when referring to a seat with a back or support.

gibt ‘gibt’ means ‘gives’ or ‘provides’ in ‘gibt dir ... Halt’. It is the third-person form of ‘geben’, with ‘Stuhl’ as its subject. Use ‘gibt’ with a person and a thing when saying that something provides that person with something.

dir ‘dir’ means ‘to you’ and identifies the person receiving the support. It is the dative form related to ‘du’, used with ‘gibt’. Use ‘dir’ for the recipient or person benefiting from something.

vielleicht ‘vielleicht’ means ‘perhaps’ or ‘maybe’ and makes the suggestion less certain. It modifies the statement that the chair does not provide enough support. Use ‘vielleicht’ when offering a possible explanation or suggestion.

nicht ‘nicht’ means ‘not’ and negates the idea that the chair gives enough support. It appears before ‘genug Halt’ in this sentence. Use ‘nicht’ to deny or negate a statement, quality, or amount.

genug ‘genug’ means ‘enough’ and describes the amount of support provided. In ‘nicht genug Halt’, it comes before the noun phrase. Use ‘genug’ with a noun or adjective when saying that an amount or degree is sufficient.

Halt ‘Halt’ means ‘support’ here, referring to support from the chair for the body. It is the thing that the chair gives to the person in ‘gibt dir Halt’. Use ‘Halt’ when talking about physical or stabilizing support.

beuge ‘beuge’ means ‘lean’ or ‘bend’ in ‘beuge mich ... nach vorne’. It is the first-person form of ‘beugen’, used with the reflexive form ‘mich’. Use ‘beuge mich’ when describing yourself leaning or bending.

mich ‘mich’ means ‘myself’ or ‘me’ in the reflexive expression ‘beuge mich’. It is the first-person object form related to ‘ich’, referring back to the speaker. Use ‘mich’ with a reflexive action that the speaker performs on themself.

auch ‘auch’ means ‘also’ and adds the forward leaning as another factor besides sitting. It is placed after ‘mich’ in this sentence. Use ‘auch’ to add another action, fact, or reason.

nach ‘nach’ contributes the direction in the expression ‘nach vorne’. Together, the expression means ‘forward’ or ‘toward the front’. Use ‘nach’ with a directional word when describing movement or orientation toward a direction.

vorne ‘vorne’ means ‘forward’ or ‘in front’ in ‘nach vorne’. It completes the directional expression describing how the speaker leans. Use ‘nach vorne’ when describing movement or position toward the front.

weil ‘weil’ means ‘because’ and introduces the reason for leaning forward. It begins a subordinate clause, with ‘ist’ at the end. Use ‘weil’ before the reason that explains an action or situation.

Bildschirm ‘Bildschirm’ means ‘screen’ or ‘monitor’ here. It is the subject of ‘ist’ and is described as being too far away. Use ‘Bildschirm’ when referring to a computer or other display screen.

zu ‘zu’ means ‘too’ in ‘zu weit weg’. It shows that the distance is greater than is suitable in this situation. Use ‘zu’ before an adjective or adverb when describing an excessive degree.

weit ‘weit’ means ‘far’ in the expression ‘zu weit weg’. Together with ‘zu’ and ‘weg’, it describes the monitor as being at an excessive distance. Use ‘weit’ to describe distance, often with a place or directional expression.

weg ‘weg’ means ‘away’ in ‘zu weit weg’. It completes the expression describing the screen’s distance from the speaker. Use ‘weit weg’ when saying that something is far away.

ist ‘ist’ means ‘is’ and states the screen’s position in ‘zu weit weg ist’. It is the third-person form of ‘sein’, with ‘Bildschirm’ as the subject. Use ‘ist’ to describe a current state, position, or condition.

Wenn ‘Wenn’ means ‘if’ here and introduces a condition about moving the screen closer. It begins the conditional clause, with ‘stellst’ at the end. Use ‘wenn’ before a condition that must be considered before a result.

du ‘du’ means ‘you’ and is the person who may move the screen. It is the subject of ‘stellst’. Use ‘du’ when addressing one person informally.

näher ‘näher’ means ‘closer’ and describes moving the screen toward the person. It is the comparative form of ‘nah’. Use ‘näher’ when comparing a position or distance with the current one.

stellst ‘stellst’ means ‘place’ or ‘set’ in ‘den Bildschirm näher stellst’. It is the second-person form of ‘stellen’, used for putting the screen in a position. Use ‘etwas stellen’ when placing an object somewhere.

könnte ‘könnte’ expresses ‘could’ or ‘might’ in the suggestion that the change may relieve the back. It is a form of ‘können’ used for a possible result rather than a certainty. Use ‘könnte’ when presenting a possible effect or recommendation cautiously.

das ‘das’ means ‘that’ or ‘it’ and refers to moving the screen closer as a whole. It is the subject of ‘könnte ... entlasten’. Use ‘das’ to refer back to an action or situation just mentioned.

deinen ‘deinen’ means ‘your’ in ‘deinen Rücken’. It is the accusative form of ‘dein’ before the masculine noun ‘Rücken’. Use this form when the person’s back is the direct object of an action.

entlasten ‘entlasten’ means ‘relieve’ or ‘reduce the strain on’ and describes the possible effect on the back. It is the infinitive after ‘könnte’. Use ‘etwas entlasten’ when saying that an action reduces pressure or strain on something.

daran ‘daran’ means ‘about it’ in ‘daran gedacht’. It refers to the idea of stretching during breaks and belongs with the construction ‘an etwas denken’. Use ‘daran denken’ when referring back to something someone is thinking about.

gedacht ‘gedacht’ means ‘thought’ in ‘daran gedacht’. It is the participle form of ‘denken’, used with ‘habe’ in the completed-time construction. Use ‘an etwas gedacht haben’ when saying that you considered or remembered something.

in ‘in’ means ‘in’ or ‘during’ in ‘in kurzen Pausen’. It places the stretching within short breaks. Use ‘in’ with a time period to say when an action takes place.

kurzen ‘kurzen’ means ‘short’ and describes the breaks in ‘kurzen Pausen’. It is the adjective form of ‘kurz’ used before the plural noun ‘Pausen’. Use it before a noun when describing a brief duration or length.

Pausen ‘Pausen’ means ‘breaks’ and refers to short interruptions during which the speaker plans to stretch. It is the plural form of ‘Pause’. Use ‘Pausen’ when talking about times away from work or another activity.

dehnen ‘dehnen’ means ‘stretch’ in ‘mich ... zu dehnen’. It is the infinitive used with the reflexive form ‘mich’. Use ‘sich dehnen’ when describing stretching one’s body.

Leichtes ‘Leichtes’ means ‘gentle’ or ‘light’ in ‘Leichtes Dehnen’. It is the capitalized form of ‘leicht’ used as part of the noun phrase for gentle stretching. Use ‘leichtes’ before an activity or thing when describing it as gentle or not intense.

kann ‘kann’ means ‘can’ or ‘may’ and expresses the possible helpful effect of gentle stretching. It is the third-person form of ‘können’, with ‘Leichtes Dehnen’ as the subject. Use ‘kann’ when describing an ability or a possible result.

helfen ‘helfen’ means ‘help’ and is the action that gentle stretching may perform. It is the infinitive after ‘kann’. Use ‘kann helfen’ when saying that something may be useful in a situation.

aber ‘aber’ means ‘but’ and contrasts the possible benefit of stretching with the instruction to stop if pain increases. It connects two opposing pieces of advice. Use ‘aber’ to introduce a limitation or contrasting point.

hör auf ‘hör auf’ means ‘stop’ in this direct instruction. It combines ‘hör’, the imperative form of ‘hören’, with ‘auf’, the separable part of ‘aufhören’. Use ‘hör auf’ when telling one person informally to stop an action.

es ‘es’ means ‘it’ and refers here to the stretching or activity that may increase the pain. It is the subject of ‘verstärkt’. Use ‘es’ to refer back to a previously mentioned action or situation.

die ‘die’ means ‘the’ before the plural noun ‘Schmerzen’. It identifies the specific pain being discussed. Use ‘die’ before plural nouns when referring to particular things already understood from the context.

Schmerzen ‘Schmerzen’ means ‘pain’ or ‘aches’ here and is the object of ‘verstärkt’. It is the plural form of ‘Schmerz’, referring to painful sensations. Use ‘Schmerzen’ when talking about pain in a general or more than one-area sense.

verstärkt ‘verstärkt’ means ‘increases’ or ‘intensifies’ in ‘die Schmerzen verstärkt’. It is the third-person form of ‘verstärken’, with ‘es’ as the subject and ‘die Schmerzen’ as the object. Use ‘etwas verstärkt etwas’ when one thing makes another thing stronger or more intense.

anhält ‘anhält’ means ‘continues’ or ‘persists’ when referring to the pain. It is the third-person form of ‘anhalten’, with the separable prefix joined in the subordinate clause. Use ‘etwas hält an’ when a condition or event continues over time.

sollte ‘sollte’ expresses ‘should’ and gives the speaker’s cautious recommendation to seek help. It is a form of ‘sollen’ used here for advice. Use ‘sollte’ when saying what would be sensible or advisable.

wahrscheinlich ‘wahrscheinlich’ means ‘probably’ and makes the recommendation less absolute. It modifies the idea of seeking professional help. Use it when something seems likely but is not certain.

professionelle ‘professionelle’ means ‘professional’ and describes the kind of help being sought. It is the adjective form of ‘professionell’ before ‘Hilfe’. Use it before a noun when referring to help or services provided by a trained professional.

Hilfe ‘Hilfe’ means ‘help’ or ‘assistance’ here, specifically help from a professional. It is the object of ‘suchen’. Use ‘Hilfe suchen’ when saying that someone tries to obtain assistance.

suchen ‘suchen’ means ‘seek’ or ‘look for’ in ‘professionelle Hilfe suchen’. It is the infinitive after ‘sollte’. Use the pattern ‘Hilfe suchen’ when describing an attempt to obtain help.

gilt ‘gilt’ means ‘applies’ or ‘is true’ in ‘Das gilt besonders’. It is the third-person form of ‘gelten’, referring back to the recommendation in the previous line. Use ‘Das gilt’ to say that a statement or rule applies to a situation.

besonders ‘besonders’ means ‘especially’ and emphasizes the situations that make professional help more important. It modifies the following conditions about spreading pain or sleep. Use it to highlight one case as particularly important.

sich ‘sich’ is the reflexive form used with ‘ausbreiten’ in ‘sich ausbreiten’. Together, the construction describes the pain spreading. Use ‘sich’ with a reflexive verb when the action relates back to the subject.

ausbreiten ‘ausbreiten’ means ‘spread’ in ‘sich ausbreiten’. It is used with ‘sich’ to describe the pain extending to a wider area. Use ‘sich ausbreiten’ when something gradually covers or affects a larger area.

oder ‘oder’ means ‘or’ and connects two warning signs: the pain spreading or beginning to affect sleep. It presents alternatives within the condition. Use ‘oder’ to connect alternatives or possible situations.

anfangen ‘anfangen’ means ‘start’ or ‘begin’ in ‘anfangen, deinen Schlaf zu beeinträchtigen’. It is coordinated with ‘ausbreiten’ and introduces the action that begins to affect sleep. Use ‘anfangen, etwas zu tun’ when saying that an action begins.

Schlaf ‘Schlaf’ means ‘sleep’ and is the direct object of ‘beeinträchtigen’. It refers to the person’s ability to sleep being affected. Use ‘Schlaf’ when talking about sleep as a state or period of rest.

beeinträchtigen ‘beeinträchtigen’ means ‘affect’ or ‘impair’ in ‘deinen Schlaf zu beeinträchtigen’. It is the infinitive after ‘anfangen’, with ‘deinen Schlaf’ as its object. Use ‘etwas beeinträchtigen’ when something negatively affects a condition or activity.

Diese ‘Diese’ means ‘this’ and identifies the current week as the time for making small changes. It is the form of ‘dieser’ used before ‘Woche’. Use it before a noun when referring to the current or immediately relevant one.

Woche ‘Woche’ means ‘week’ and forms the time expression ‘Diese Woche’. It identifies the period in which the speaker plans to make adjustments. Use ‘Woche’ when referring to a seven-day period or a specific week.

kleine ‘kleine’ means ‘small’ and describes the adjustments as limited rather than major. It is the adjective form of ‘klein’ before the plural noun ‘Änderungen’. Use it before a noun when describing something limited in size or extent.

Änderungen ‘Änderungen’ means ‘changes’ or ‘adjustments’ and is the object of ‘vornehmen’. It is the plural form of ‘Änderung’, referring to modifications to the work setup or routine. Use ‘Änderungen vornehmen’ when describing practical adjustments.

vornehmen ‘vornehmen’ means ‘make’ or ‘carry out’ in ‘kleine Änderungen vornehmen’. It is the infinitive after ‘kann’. Use the pattern ‘Änderungen vornehmen’ when saying that you implement adjustments.

und ‘und’ means ‘and’ and connects the two actions of making changes and observing their effects. It joins coordinated parts of the sentence. Use ‘und’ to add one action, fact, or idea to another.

beobachten ‘beobachten’ means ‘observe’ or ‘track’ and describes monitoring whether the changes help. It is the second infinitive coordinated with ‘vornehmen’ after ‘kann’. Use ‘etwas beobachten’ when following a development over time.

ob ‘ob’ means ‘whether’ and introduces the question of if the changes help. It begins an indirect yes-or-no clause, with ‘helfen’ at the end. Use ‘ob’ after verbs such as ‘beobachten’ when checking whether something is true or effective.

sie ‘sie’ means ‘they’ here and refers to the small changes. It is the subject of ‘helfen’, so it is not the object meaning ‘them’ in this clause. Use ‘sie’ to refer back to plural things already mentioned.

Regelmäßige ‘Regelmäßige’ means ‘consistent’ or ‘regular’ and describes changes made repeatedly or steadily. It is the adjective form of ‘regelmäßig’ before the plural noun ‘Änderungen’. Use it before a plural noun when describing something done at regular intervals or in a steady way.

lassen In ‘lassen sich ... beurteilen’, ‘lassen’ helps express that the changes can be assessed. The construction combines ‘lassen’ with ‘sich’ and an infinitive rather than using the ordinary meaning ‘let’. Use this construction when describing how easily something can be evaluated.

normalerweise ‘normalerweise’ means ‘usually’ or ‘normally’ and presents the statement as a general tendency. It modifies how consistent changes are judged. Use it when describing what generally happens without claiming that it always happens.

leichter ‘leichter’ means ‘more easily’ and compares judging consistent changes with judging one large change. It is the comparative form of ‘leicht’. Use ‘leichter ... als’ to say that one action or situation is easier than another.

beurteilen ‘beurteilen’ means ‘judge’ or ‘assess’ and refers to evaluating whether the changes help. It is the infinitive in ‘lassen sich ... beurteilen’. Use ‘etwas beurteilen’ when forming an opinion about its effect, quality, or result.

als ‘als’ means ‘than’ and introduces the second part of the comparison. It compares consistent changes with one big change. Use ‘als’ after a comparative form such as ‘leichter’.

eine ‘eine’ means ‘a’ or ‘one’ before ‘einzige große Änderung’. It introduces one singular change being used as the comparison point. Use ‘eine’ before a feminine singular noun in this type of phrase.

einzige ‘einzige’ means ‘single’ or ‘only one’ and emphasizes that the comparison concerns one change by itself. It is the adjective form of ‘einzig’ before ‘Änderung’. Use it when stressing that there is just one item of its kind.

große ‘große’ means ‘big’ or ‘large’ and describes the single change as substantial. It is the adjective form of ‘groß’ before ‘Änderung’. Use it before a noun when describing considerable size or extent.

Änderung ‘Änderung’ means ‘change’ or ‘adjustment’ and is the singular comparison point after ‘als’. It contrasts with the regular changes discussed earlier. Use ‘Änderung’ for one modification to a situation, routine, or setup.

Grammar Points

nachdem + Nebensatz: Das konjugierte Verb steht am Ende.

Nachdem ich am Schreibtisch gesessen habe, tut mein unterer Rücken weh.

NAHKH-daym ikh am SHRYBE-tish guh-ZESS-en HAH-buh, toot myn OON-tuh-ruh RUEK-en VAY.

After I sat at the desk, my lower back hurts.

In a nachdem-clause, the conjugated verb goes to the end; the clause describes an earlier action.

sich beugen: beuge mich

Ich beuge mich nach vorne.

Ikh BOY-guh mikh nahkh FOR-nuh.

I lean forward.

Beugen is used reflexively here: the pronoun mich refers back to the subject ich.

German Vocabulary

beuge mich verb

BOY-guh mikh lean forward

Ich beuge mich auch nach vorne.

Bildschirm noun

BILT-shirm screen; monitor

weil mein Bildschirm zu weit weg ist

gesessen verb

guh-ZESS-en sat

Nachdem ich den ganzen Tag an meinem Schreibtisch gesessen habe.

Halt noun

HAHLT support

nicht genug Halt

nach vorne phrase

nahkh FOR-nuh forward

Ich beuge mich auch nach vorne.

nachdem conj

NAHKH-daym after

Nachdem ich den ganzen Tag an meinem Schreibtisch gesessen habe.

Schreibtisch noun

SHRYBE-tish desk

an meinem Schreibtisch

Stuhl noun

SHTOOL chair

Dein Stuhl gibt dir vielleicht nicht genug Halt.

tut weh verb

toot VAY hurts

Mein unterer Rücken tut weh.

unterer Rücken phrase

OON-tuh-ruh RUEK-en lower back

Mein unterer Rücken tut weh.

vielleicht adv

fee-LYKHT perhaps; might

Dein Stuhl gibt dir vielleicht nicht genug Halt.

zu weit weg phrase

tsoo vайт vek too far away

Mein Bildschirm ist zu weit weg.

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

support

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Halt

perhaps; might

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vielleicht

chair

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Stuhl

desk

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Schreibtisch