Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
irgendein. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
irgendein, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
irgendein in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
irgendein you have here. The definition of the word
irgendein will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
irgendein, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
German
Pronunciation
Determiner
irgendein
- (indefinite) some; any
- Synonym: beliebig
Usage notes
- The German word is used only with countable singulars. For plurals and uncountable singulars, use irgendwelcher.
- The distinction between some and any is alien to German. On the other hand, irgendein is not freely usable for “any” where this word is similar in meaning to “every”, as in You can choose any of my books. Any student can apply. This sense can usually be covered by the somewhat formal jeder beliebige: Du kannst jedes beliebige von meinen Büchern auswählen. Jeder beliebige Student kann sich bewerben. In more idiomatic German, jeder, welcher auch immer, or even irgendein are more common, but the right choice between them requires some experience as they are not always interchangeable.
Declension
Derived terms
Further reading