Ergens

Ergens is a Dutch adverb meaning somewhere or some place. It is used to indicate an indefinite location without specifying where exactly. In negative contexts, the counterpart nens others arises: the word for nowhere is nergens, meaning not anywhere.

Typical usage includes indicating a non-specific location within a larger area or object. For example, ik kan het ergens vinden is possible in contexts where the exact spot is not known but a location exists. In a phrase like het ligt ergens in de kamer, ergens functions to locate the item in the room without naming a precise point. Er is also a common construction in questions and requests, such as waar kan ik het ergens kwijt? (where can I put it somewhere) or simply waar kan ik het kwijt?.

Ergens can be combined with other locative modifiers to refine meaning, for instance ergens anders (somewhere else) or ergens in + a location (somewhere in the city, somewhere in the house). It is generally invariable and can modify verbs and prepositional phrases, serving as a flexible marker of indefiniteness in spatial references.

Regional and stylistic notes: the word is used throughout the Dutch-speaking world, including the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders). It forms part of a broader family of indefinite locatives in Dutch built with er- and related particles. While synonyms like ergens in combinatie with other degree words exist, ergens remains the most common general-purpose term for an unspecified location.

See also: nergens, ergens anders, meer algemene locative adverbs.