Breakdown of Die Therapie gegen die Sucht ist vergeblich.
sein
to be
gegen
against
die Therapie
the therapy
die Sucht
the addiction
vergeblich
futile
Questions & Answers about Die Therapie gegen die Sucht ist vergeblich.
English says 'therapy FOR the addiction', so why does the German sentence use gegen?
In English, we treat illnesses or addictions as things we have treatments 'for'. German takes a more combative approach: you have a therapy or medicine 'against' (gegen) the condition. Remember that gegen always forces the following noun into the accusative case, which is why we see die Sucht here.
Does the adjective vergeblich govern the accusative case like gewohnt or wert from this lesson?
No, vergeblich is a standard adjective meaning 'futile' or 'in vain'. The accusative case in this sentence comes entirely from the preposition gegen. Sentences like this are a good reminder that while certain special adjectives can force the accusative, prepositions remain the most common trigger for it.
If die Sucht is the noun for 'addiction', how do I say 'I am addicted to...' in German?
You use the adjective form süchtig, but be careful with the preposition! In German, you aren't addicted 'to' something, you are addicted 'after' it. You would say Ich bin süchtig nach..., and since nach always takes the dative case, it must be followed by a dative noun.
Could I use umsonst instead of vergeblich here?
Yes, umsonst can also mean 'in vain' or 'for nothing'. However, umsonst has a second very common meaning: 'for free' (without costing money). Using vergeblich is often better because it avoids any ambiguity, making it absolutely clear that the therapy was unsuccessful, not just free of charge.
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