Meine Nebenbeschäftigung als Nachhilfelehrerin passt gut zu meinem Studium.

My side job as a tutor fits well with my studies.

Breakdown of Meine Nebenbeschäftigung als Nachhilfelehrerin passt gut zu meinem Studium.

• zu: to
• mein: my; (masculine or neuter, nominative)
• gut: well
• als: as

Questions & Answers about Meine Nebenbeschäftigung als Nachhilfelehrerin passt gut zu meinem Studium.

Why is it Meine Nebenbeschäftigung and not mein Nebenbeschäftigung?

Because Nebenbeschäftigung is grammatically feminine in German.

• Feminine nouns use meine in the nominative singular:
  • meine Arbeit, meine Tasche, meine Freundin, meine Nebenbeschäftigung

If the noun were masculine or neuter, you would use mein:

• Masculine: mein Job
• Neuter: mein Studium

What does Nebenbeschäftigung actually mean, and how is it different from Nebenjob or Teilzeitjob?

All three can refer to work you do in addition to something else, but they differ slightly in tone and typical use:

• Nebenbeschäftigung

  • Literally: “secondary occupation/activity”
  • Slightly more formal or neutral, can refer to any secondary activity that brings in money, not necessarily a typical “job” in the casual sense.

• Nebenjob

  • More colloquial and very common among students.
  • Literally: “side job” – often a small paid job next to studies/school.

• Teilzeitjob

  • Literally: “part-time job” – specifically about working fewer hours than full-time.
  • Not necessarily “next to” something; it’s just a job with fewer hours.

In this sentence, Nebenbeschäftigung sounds a bit more formal than Nebenjob, but Mein Nebenjob als Nachhilfelehrerin passt gut zu meinem Studium would also be perfectly natural.

How is the long word Nachhilfelehrerin built, and what would the masculine form be?