etwas

See also: Etwas

German

Alternative forms

• was (colloquial)
• etw. (abbreviation)

Etymology

From Old High German eddeshwaz, from edde- +‎ hwaz (edde- = some, hwaz = what). Compare Icelandic eitthvað. English somewhat. Dutch ietwat.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛtvas/

• Audio:

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• Audio:

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• Audio (Austria); [ˈɛ̝tʰˑʋɑs]:

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• Rhymes: -as

Pronoun

etwas

1. something

Usage notes

• When followed by a relative clause, neuter indefinite pronouns generally take was instead of das in the nominative and accusative. For euphonic reasons, however, etwas is predominantly construed with das, unless there is an intervening adjective (in which case the tendency is reverse):

etwas, das (less commonly: was) mich stört ― something that bothers me

etwas Lustiges, was (less commonly: das) ich gehört habe ― something funny that I’ve heard

Adverb

etwas

1. somewhat, slightly
2. a little, a bit

Determiner

etwas

1. (with uncountable or plural noun) some, a bit of

   Hab etwas Respekt vor den Toten.

   Have some respect for the dead.

Related terms

• etwer

Further reading

• “etwas” in Duden online
• “etwas” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache