Breakdown of Der Kampf gegen die Armut dauert schon lange.
lange
for a long time, long
gegen
against
schon
already
dauern
to last / to take (time)
die Armut
the poverty
der Kampf
the fight, the struggle
Questions & Answers about Der Kampf gegen die Armut dauert schon lange.
Why is this sentence in the present tense (dauert) when the English translation says "has gone on"?
In German, when an action started in the past and is still continuing in the present, you use the present tense. English uses the present perfect or present perfect continuous for this. The word schon is often included to emphasize how long it has been going on.
Why is it die Armut? Aren't words ending in -mut usually masculine?
Yes, most words ending in -mut are masculine (like der Mut or der Hochmut). However, die Armut (poverty) is one of a few important feminine exceptions. Another one you might encounter at this level is die Wehmut (melancholy).
Could I say dauert schon lang instead of lange?
While you might hear lang in casual spoken German, lange is the correct standard form here. lange is an adverb meaning "for a long time," whereas lang is normally an adjective for physical length (ein langer Weg) or placed after a specific time period (drei Jahre lang).
What case is die Armut in this sentence?
It is in the accusative case. The preposition gegen (against) is a fixed accusative preposition. It never changes case based on motion or location, so it will always force the following noun into the accusative.
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