Irgendetwas

Irgendetwas is a German indefinite pronoun and noun that means "something" or "some thing." It refers to an unspecified thing or matter and is used when the speaker does not want or cannot specify what is meant. The form is built from the indefinite prefix irgend- combined with etwas (something). The common written form is irgendetwas; a more colloquial variant, often used in speech, is irgendwas.

In use, irgendetwas can function as a subject, an object, or the object of a preposition. It can stand alone or be modified by adjectives or determiners: Examples include "Irgendetwas ist faul" (Something is wrong), "Ich suche irgendetwas Interessantes" (I’m looking for something interesting), and "Gib mir irgendetwas zu trinken" (Bring me something to drink). It also appears in questions: "Hast du irgendetwas gesehen?" In negative contexts, speakers usually prefer nichts rather than irgedetwas.

Nuance and style: The word conveys vagueness or a sense of non-specificity about the thing referred to. It is common in spoken German, with "irgendwas" serving as the frequent everyday variant, while "irgendetwas" is more common in formal or written contexts. Like other irgen- compounds (irgendwer, irgendwo, irgendwann), it signals indefiniteness and a lack of precise identification.

Related terms include: etwas (the neutral, non-indefinite "something"), jemand (someone), and the broader family of indefinite pronouns formed with irgend-. See also examples in standard German dictionaries and usage guides.