How do you talk about addiction in German?

It’s what takes over slowly, what’s hard to quit, and what some people fight against every day. In German, it’s die Sucht. This is your German Word of the Day - intense, emotional, and a powerful word that shows up in conversations about health, psychology, and modern life.

The noun Sucht means addiction, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. It refers to both substance and behavioral addictions, and it’s often part of compound words describing specific types of dependency.

It’s a feminine noun, so we say die Sucht (still unsure how to learn genders efficiently? Our video lesson gives you the tools to remember them for good).

Pronunciation

Sucht is pronounced [zukht]

• Su - a z sound plus a short u, as in “put”

• cht is a hard ch, like in Buch

• One strong syllable: Sucht

Example sentences

• Er kämpft seit Jahren mit seiner Sucht.He has been struggling with his addiction for years.

• Die Sucht nach Alkohol zerstörte seine Beziehungen.The addiction to alcohol destroyed his relationships.

• Digitale Sucht ist ein wachsendes Problem.Digital addiction is a growing problem.

Nuance and usage tips

Sucht can refer to physical or psychological addiction, and also to an overwhelming craving or compulsion.

🧠 Common compound nouns:

• Alkoholsucht - alcohol addiction

• Spielsucht - gambling addiction

• Internetsucht / Handysucht - internet or smartphone addiction

• Esssucht - a colloquial term for compulsive eating; Binge-Eating-Störung names a specific diagnosed eating disorder

• Nikotinsucht - nicotine addiction

• Drogensucht - drug addiction

• Kaufsucht - shopping addiction

• Arbeitssucht - workaholism

💬 Typical phrases:

• an einer Sucht leiden - to suffer from an addiction

• in die Sucht abrutschen - to fall into addiction

• eine Sucht bekämpfen / überwinden - to fight / overcome an addiction

• süchtig sein nach … - to be addicted to …

🗣️ Note: “süchtig” is the adjective form, as in „Er ist süchtig nach Schokolade.“(He’s addicted to chocolate.)