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etwas. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
etwas, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
etwas in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
etwas you have here. The definition of the word
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German
Etymology
From Old High German eddeshwaz, from edde- + hwaz (edde- = some, hwaz = what). Compare Icelandic eitthvað, Dutch ietwat.
Pronunciation
Pronoun
etwas
- 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
- somewhat, slightly
- a little, a bit
Determiner
etwas
- (with uncountable or plural noun) some, a bit of
Hab etwas Respekt vor den Toten.- Have some respect for the dead.
See also
Further reading
- “etwas” in Duden online
- “etwas” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache