Learn German: Ich bin mit der Arbeit zufrieden. - I am satisfied with the work.

The preposition mit always forces the noun that follows it into the dative case. Because Arbeit is a feminine noun, its article changes from die to der in the dative case.

Why does zufrieden go at the very end of the sentence?

In German, when an adjective describes the subject using the verb sein (to be), it often gets pushed to the end of the sentence. Any additional details, like the phrase mit der Arbeit, are placed before the adjective.

Is zufrieden always paired with mit?

Yes, when you want to specify what you are satisfied with, you use the fixed combination zufrieden mit. It is very helpful to memorize this pair because it perfectly mirrors the English phrase 'satisfied with'.

Can Arbeit also mean 'job' in this context?

Absolutely! Depending on the situation, die Arbeit can refer to a specific task you are working on right now, or it can refer to your overall job or employment.