Die Physiotherapeutin zeigt mir eine einfache Übung für meinen Rücken.

The physiotherapist shows me a simple exercise for my back.

Breakdown of Die Physiotherapeutin zeigt mir eine einfache Übung für meinen Rücken.

• zeigen: to show
• für: for
• mein: my
• mir: me
• einfach: simple
• die Übung: the exercise
• der Rücken: the back
• die Physiotherapeutin: the physiotherapist (female)

Questions & Answers about Die Physiotherapeutin zeigt mir eine einfache Übung für meinen Rücken.

What does the ending -in in Physiotherapeutin tell me?

The ending -in marks a female person in many professions and roles.

• der Physiotherapeut = male physiotherapist
• die Physiotherapeutin = female physiotherapist
• plural (mixed / all men): die Physiotherapeuten
• plural (all women): die Physiotherapeutinnen

So Physiotherapeutin tells you the therapist is female.

Why is it die Physiotherapeutin and not der Physiotherapeutin?

Because die Physiotherapeutin is nominative singular feminine, and die is the correct article in that case.

• die Physiotherapeutin = subject (who is acting?) → nominative
• die is the nominative feminine singular article.

Der can also be feminine, but only in dative and genitive:

• Ich helfe der Physiotherapeutin. (dative)
• Das Zimmer der Physiotherapeutin. (genitive)

As the subject of the sentence, it must be die Physiotherapeutin.

Why is it zeigt mir and not zeigt mich?

Because the verb zeigen (to show) normally takes:

• a dative person = the one who receives the information
• an accusative thing = what is being shown

Pattern: jemandem (Dativ) etwas (Akkusativ) zeigen
Here:

• mir = to me (dative)
• eine einfache Übung = a simple exercise (accusative)

So: Die Physiotherapeutin zeigt mir eine einfache Übung.

If you say zeigt mich, it means “shows me (to someone else)”, e.g.:

• Sie zeigt mich ihrem Chef. – She shows me to her boss.

That’s a different meaning.

Which cases are used for mir, eine einfache Übung, and meinen Rücken, and why?

• mir → dative
  
  • Recipient/indirect object of zeigen: shows (something) to me.
• eine einfache Übung → accusative, feminine singular
  
  • Direct object: shows an exercise.
• meinen Rücken → accusative, masculine singular
  
  • Object of the preposition für, which always takes the accusative:
    
    • für wen/was? → für meinen Rücken

So the pattern is:

• zeigen → dative person + accusative thing
• für → always accusative

Why is it meinen Rücken and not just mein Rücken?

Because Rücken is masculine and here it is in the accusative (after für), so the possessive mein- needs an accusative masculine ending: -en.

Mini-table for mein with a masculine noun:

• Nominative: mein Rücken – Mein Rücken tut weh.
• Accusative: meinen Rücken – Ich trainiere meinen Rücken.
• Dative: meinem Rücken – Mit meinem Rücken habe ich Probleme.

In the sentence, für requires the accusative → für meinen Rücken.

Why is it eine einfache Übung with einfache ending in -e?

Because Übung is feminine, and here it is accusative singular with an indefinite article (eine). In this situation, the adjective gets the ending -e.

Pattern for a feminine noun with eine:

• Nominative: eine einfache Übung
• Accusative: eine einfache Übung

So:

• article: eine
• adjective ending: einfach
  • -e → einfache
• noun: Übung

Can I change the word order, e.g. say Die Physiotherapeutin zeigt eine einfache Übung mir?

Grammatically possible, but not natural in everyday German.

The usual (“neutral”) order in main clauses is:

1. Subject
2. Verb
3. Dative pronoun (mir)
4. Accusative noun phrase (eine einfache Übung)
5. Other information (für meinen Rücken)

So the normal sentence is:

• Die Physiotherapeutin zeigt mir eine einfache Übung für meinen Rücken.

General tendencies:

• Pronouns (mir, dir, ihm, etc.) usually come before full noun phrases.
• Changing the order is mostly done for emphasis or in specific stylistic contexts.

Die Physiotherapeutin zeigt eine einfache Übung mir sounds clumsy and would rarely be used.

Could I leave out mir and just say: Die Physiotherapeutin zeigt eine einfache Übung für meinen Rücken?

Yes, that is grammatically correct, but the meaning shifts slightly.

• mit mir: Focus on me as the learner:
  
  • She shows me a simple exercise for my back.
• without mir: More general statement:
  
  • The physiotherapist shows a simple exercise for my back (to someone / in general).

In many real situations, you would keep mir, because you usually want to say who is being instructed.

Why is it für meinen Rücken and not für meinem Rücken?

Because the preposition für always takes the accusative case, never the dative.

• für wen/was? – accusative
• masculine accusative with mein- → meinen

So:

• für meinen Rücken = correct (accusative)
• für meinem Rücken = incorrect

What are the genders and plurals of Physiotherapeutin, Übung, and Rücken?

• die Physiotherapeutin

  • gender: feminine
  • plural: die Physiotherapeutinnen

• die Übung

  • gender: feminine
  • plural: die Übungen

• der Rücken

  • gender: masculine
  • plural: die Rücken
    
    • The singular and plural look the same in writing; context tells you which it is.

Is there a difference between Physiotherapeutin and Krankengymnastin?

Today, Physiotherapeutin is the standard professional term in Germany.

Krankengymnastin is an older term that is still understood and sometimes used colloquially or regionally, but Physiotherapeutin is more modern and official.

So in most modern contexts, Physiotherapeutin is preferred.

How do I pronounce Physiotherapeutin and Rücken?

Approximate pronunciation:

• Physiotherapeutin → [ˌfyːzjoˌteːʁaʊˈpeːtɪn]

  • ü = like French u in tu or like saying ee with rounded lips
  • th = just a t (never the English “th”)
  • stress mainly on -peu-: phy-sio-thera-PEU-tin

• Rücken → [ˈʁʏkən]

  • ü again like French u
  • ck = a short, strong k sound
  • stress on the first syllable: RÜC-ken

Why are Physiotherapeutin, Übung, and Rücken capitalized?

In German, all nouns are capitalized, regardless of where they appear in the sentence.

• die Physiotherapeutin – noun (person)
• die Übung – noun (thing)
• der Rücken – noun (body part)

This is a consistent rule: if it’s a noun, it’s written with a capital letter.