etwas

• was (colloquial)
• etw. (abbreviation)

From Middle High German etewaʒ, from Old High German eddeshwaz, from edde- +‎ hwaz. The first element is of obscure origin, but possibly related to Proto-Germanic *ehþau (“otherwise, or, but if”), source of modern oder (“or”).

Compare Icelandic eitthvað, Dutch ietwat.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛtvas/

• Audio:

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• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

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• Audio (Austria); [ˈɛ̝tʰˑʋɑs]:

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• Rhymes: -as

etwas

1. something

• 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

etwas

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

etwas

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

   Hab etwas Respekt vor den Toten.

   Have some respect for the dead.

• etwer

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