Breakdown of Die Ärztin arbeitet in der Praxis.
in
in
arbeiten
to work
die Ärztin
the doctor (female)
die Praxis
the practice
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Questions & Answers about Die Ärztin arbeitet in der Praxis.
Why is it Die Ärztin and not Der Arzt?
Because the subject is a female doctor. Ärztin is the feminine form of Arzt (doctor). The feminine definite article in the nominative is die, so we get Die Ärztin. Many professions form the feminine with the suffix -in, sometimes with an umlaut change: Arzt → Ärztin.
What case is der Praxis, and why is it der and not die?
It’s dative feminine. The preposition in takes the dative when it indicates location (where something is). The feminine definite article changes from die (nominative/accusative) to der in the dative: in der Praxis.
Could it be in die Praxis instead?
Use in die (accusative) when there is motion toward a place. Compare:
- Location (dative): Sie arbeitet in der Praxis.
- Motion (accusative): Sie geht in die Praxis.
Why not im Praxis?
im is a contraction of in dem and only works with masculine or neuter nouns. Praxis is feminine, so you can’t say im Praxis. You must say in der Praxis.
Can I use bei instead of in with arbeiten?
Yes, but they mean slightly different things:
- arbeiten in focuses on the physical location: Sie arbeitet in der Praxis.
- arbeiten bei focuses on the employer: Sie arbeitet bei Dr. Müller / bei Siemens. Using bei with Praxis is possible if you mean the organization (e.g., bei einer Gemeinschaftspraxis), but for the place itself, in is more natural.
What does Praxis mean here?
Here it means a doctor’s office/medical practice (BrE often: the doctor’s surgery). Don’t confuse this with Praxis meaning “practice (as opposed to theory)” in phrases like In der Praxis ist das schwer (“In practice, that’s hard”). In Austrian German, a doctor’s office is often called Ordination.
Why does the verb end in -et (arbeitet)?
The stem of arbeiten ends in t (arbeit-), so an extra e is inserted before certain endings to make pronunciation easier. Hence: er/sie/es arbeitet. Quick pattern:
- ich arbeite
- du arbeitest
- er/sie/es arbeitet
- wir arbeiten
- ihr arbeitet
- sie/Sie arbeiten
Does the German present tense here mean “works” or “is working”?
Both. The simple present in German covers both the English simple present and present progressive: Sie arbeitet can mean “she works” or “she is working,” depending on context.
Can I start with the place: In der Praxis arbeitet die Ärztin?
Yes. German is a verb-second language. You can front the place phrase, but the finite verb must stay in second position: In der Praxis arbeitet die Ärztin. For a yes/no question: Arbeitet die Ärztin in der Praxis?
Why are Ärztin and Praxis capitalized?
All German nouns are capitalized. Verbs and prepositions (like arbeitet, in) are not.
How do I pronounce Ärztin and Praxis?
- Ärztin: The Ä is like the “e” in “bed,” short. The z sounds like “ts,” and you’ll hear a cluster like “-tst-”: roughly “EHR-ts-tin” (with a German r).
- Praxis: Stress the first syllable. x sounds like “ks”: “PRAK-sis” (short a).
What are the plurals?
- Ärztin → Ärztinnen (female doctors)
- Arzt → Ärzte (male or mixed group)
- Praxis → Praxen
Example: Ärztinnen arbeiten oft in Praxen.
Could I say Eine Ärztin arbeitet in einer Praxis?
Yes. That’s the indefinite version (“a female doctor … in a practice”). The definite die typically refers to a specific, known doctor. For general statements, use a plural or an indefinite: Ärztinnen arbeiten oft in Praxen.
Is there a more explicit way to say “doctor’s office”?
Yes: die Arztpraxis. You can say in der Arztpraxis or specify ownership: in der Praxis von Dr. Müller.
Can in der Praxis also mean “in practice (not in theory)”?
Yes. In der Praxis can mean “in practice/in reality,” depending on context. In this sentence, the presence of Ärztin clearly points to the location meaning (doctor’s office).
Can I add the role with als: Sie arbeitet als Ärztin in der Praxis?
Yes. arbeiten als + profession states the role and takes no article: Sie arbeitet als Ärztin in einer Praxis. This emphasizes her job title in addition to the workplace.