Word
Es bleibt zu hoffen, dass dieser Wirkstoff ein echtes Heilmittel ist.
Meaning
It remains to be hoped that this active ingredient is a real cure.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Es bleibt zu hoffen, dass dieser Wirkstoff ein echtes Heilmittel ist.
sein
to be
ein
a, an (eine)
es
it
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
Questions & Answers about Es bleibt zu hoffen, dass dieser Wirkstoff ein echtes Heilmittel ist.
Why does 'Es bleibt zu hoffen' translate as 'It remains to be hoped' instead of 'It remains to hope'?
In German, the construction es bleibt + zu + infinitive is used to express that something still needs to be done or is expected to happen. It carries an inherent passive meaning, similar to the English 'to be [verb]ed.' Therefore, es bleibt zu hoffen naturally translates to 'it remains to be hoped.'
Could I express the exact same idea using a standard passive sentence?
Yes, you could technically say Es muss gehofft werden, dass... (It must be hoped that...). However, Es bleibt zu hoffen is a much more elegant and extremely common set phrase for this exact sentiment in German.
What is the distinction between Wirkstoff and Heilmittel in this medical context?
Wirkstoff specifically means 'active ingredient' or 'active substance' - the chemical component in a drug that actually does the work. Heilmittel translates to 'cure' or 'remedy.' The sentence is hoping that this specific chemical component will turn out to be a definitive cure.
Why does the adjective echt get the ending -es here?