etwas
something
As a pronoun, it refers to an unspecified thing or situation; some thing.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe im Kühlschrank etwas Leckeres für dich gefunden.
I found something delicious for you in the fridge.
etwas
something / somewhat
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Meanings
etwas
some
As a pronoun, it refers to a small, unspecified amount of something; a little.
EXAMPLE
Möchtest du etwas Zucker in deinen Tee?
Would you like some sugar in your tea?
etwas
somewhat
As an adverb, it means 'a little', 'to a small degree', or 'slightly'.
EXAMPLE
Die Suppe ist etwas zu salzig.
The soup is somewhat too salty.
Usage tips
Always unchanged
The word 'etwas' (something/somewhat) is invariable. It is never declined and always keeps the same form, no matter which case it is in.
EXAMPLE
Ich brauche etwas Zeit.
I need some time.
Use with adjectives
When 'etwas' (something) is combined with an adjective, the adjective is capitalized and gets the ending for neuter nouns in the singular (-es).
EXAMPLE
Ich möchte dir etwas Schönes schenken.
I would like to give you something nice.
Use with nouns
When 'etwas' (some) stands before a noun to express an unspecified amount, the noun is not declined and remains in the singular. These are usually uncountable things.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe noch etwas Geld übrig.
I still have some money left.
As an adverb
As an adverb, 'etwas' (somewhat) stands directly before an adjective or another adverb and means 'a little' or 'a bit'. The adjective is then written in lowercase.
EXAMPLE
Dieser Koffer ist etwas schwer.
This suitcase is somewhat heavy.
Compare with
etwas vs wenig
little / few
Etwas and wenig can both refer to a small amount that is available. Etwas presents the limited amount more neutrally, while wenig emphasizes that the amount is small or possibly insufficient. Use etwas for a neutral statement and wenig when the scarcity is important.
etwas
Für die Aufgabe habe ich noch etwas Zeit.
I still have some time for the task.
wenig
Für die Aufgabe habe ich nur wenig Zeit.
I have very little time for the task.
In real life
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