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Diese Übung macht meinen Rücken stark.

Diese Übung macht meinen Rücken stark.
This exercise makes my back strong.
FromLesson 18inHardcore German
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Questions & Answers about Diese Übung macht meinen Rücken stark.

Why is diese Übung and not dieses Übung or dieser Übung?

Because Übung is a feminine noun. In the nominative case the strong declension of dies- for feminine is diese.
• Masculine nominative: dieser Übung (wrong gender)
• Feminine nominative: diese Übung (correct)
• Neuter nominative: dieses Übung (wrong gender)

Why is meinen Rücken in the accusative case?
The verb machen here means “to make” or “to render” someone/something into a new state. German uses a direct object (accusative) to show what is being affected. Since Rücken (“back”) is what’s being made strong, it’s the accusative object.
Why does mein Rücken become meinen Rücken? What’s with the -en ending?

mein is a possessive determiner. In the accusative singular masculine, determiners take an -en ending:
• Nominative: mein Rücken
• Accusative: meinen Rücken
Thus “my back” in the accusative is meinen Rücken.

What is the function of the adjective stark at the end of the sentence?

stark is a predicative adjective that describes the resulting state of the object (Rücken). In German, predicative adjectives normally follow the verb and any objects:
Subject – Verb – Object – Predicative Adjective
Diese Übung – macht – meinen Rücken – stark.

Why is stark placed after meinen Rücken rather than before it?
Because it isn’t an attributive adjective (which would directly modify a noun: ein starker Rücken). It’s a predicative adjective (a complement) and German word order puts complements after the object.
Could I say Diese Übung macht meinen Rücken stärker? What’s the nuance?

Yes. stärker is the comparative form.
• stark = “strong” (absolute result)
• stärker = “stronger” (comparison to a previous state)
So stärker emphasizes an increase in strength compared to before.

Is there a single German verb for “to strengthen” I could use instead?

Absolutely. You can use stärken:
Diese Übung stärkt meinen Rücken.
Here stärken (= “to strengthen”) takes a direct object, so you drop machen and the adjective.

What if I talk about multiple exercises? Do I need to change macht?

Yes. With a plural subject you use machen:
Diese Übungen machen meinen Rücken stark.
Subject-verb agreement requires plural Übungen → machen.

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aufdas KonzertHeute Abend gehe ich mit meinem Bruder auf ein Konzert.die BühneDas Konzert beginnt um acht Uhr auf der großen Bühne.der Sängerdas Publikumklatschen
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“How do German cases work?”
German has four grammatical cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object), and genitive (possession). The case determines the form of articles and adjectives. For example, "the dog" is "der Hund" as a subject but "den Hund" as a direct object.

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