irgendwann
someday
At an unspecified point in the future.
EXAMPLE
Irgendwann möchte ich nach Japan reisen.
Someday I would like to travel to Japan.
irgendwann
sometime / someday
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Meanings
irgendwann
sometime
At an unspecified point in the past.
EXAMPLE
Er hat das irgendwann mal erwähnt, aber ich weiß nicht mehr genau, wann.
He mentioned that sometime, but I don't remember exactly when.
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is made up of 'irgend-' and 'wann' (when). The prefix 'irgend-' expresses indefiniteness, similar to 'irgendwo' (somewhere) or 'irgendwer' (someone). So 'irgendwann' literally means 'at some point in time'.
EXAMPLE
Ich weiß nicht genau, wann ich Zeit habe, aber irgendwann melde ich mich.
I don't know exactly when I'll have time, but I'll get in touch sometime.
Context clue
You can tell whether the past or the future is meant from the tense of the verb. The perfect or simple past points to the past, while the present or future points to the future.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben uns irgendwann in den 90ern kennengelernt.
We met sometime in the 90s.
Sentence position
As an adverb, 'irgendwann' can stand flexibly in the sentence. It can stand in position 1, in which case the verb follows in position 2. But it can also stand after the verb in the middle of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Irgendwann versteht man die Regeln.
At some point, you understand the rules.
Typical combination
In colloquial speech, 'irgendwann' is often combined with 'mal': 'irgendwann mal'. This makes the statement even more indefinite and casual.
EXAMPLE
Wir sollten uns irgendwann mal wieder auf einen Kaffee treffen.
We should meet up for coffee again sometime.
Compare with
irgendwann vs einmal
once
Einmal can refer to a single opportunity in the future while leaving open when it will happen. Irgendwann mainly emphasizes that the point in time is unspecified. If the one-time opportunity is important, einmal is appropriate; if only the unknown timing matters, irgendwann is appropriate.
irgendwann
Ich möchte irgendwann nach Wien fahren, weiß aber noch nicht wann.
I’d like to visit Vienna sometime, but I don’t know when yet.
einmal
Ich möchte einmal nach Wien fahren und dort ein Wochenende verbringen.
I’d like to visit Vienna one day and spend a weekend there.
In real life
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