01
irgendwo
somewhere
At an unspecified or not precisely known place.
example
Ich habe meine Brille irgendwo hingelegt und finde sie nicht mehr.
I put my glasses somewhere and can't find them anymore.
irgendwo
somewhere
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word structure
The word consists of the prefix 'irgend-' and the adverb 'wo'. The prefix 'irgend-' adds a sense of indefiniteness to question words, so 'wo?' (where?) becomes 'irgendwo' (somewhere).
EXAMPLE
Weißt du, wo mein Schlüssel ist? Er muss irgendwo hier sein.
Do you know where my key is? It must be somewhere here.
Place or direction?
'Irgendwo' (somewhere) describes an unspecified place (position). To express movement to an unspecified place (direction), the ending '-hin' is added: 'irgendwohin' (to somewhere).
EXAMPLE
Meine Schlüssel liegen irgendwo auf dem Tisch.
My keys are lying somewhere on the table.
Register and context
The use of 'irgendwo' (somewhere around) in the sense of 'ungefähr' (approximately) is colloquial. It only works in connection with numbers, quantities, prices, or ages.
EXAMPLE
Das neue Smartphone kostet irgendwo zwischen 500 und 600 Euro.
The new smartphone costs somewhere between 500 and 600 euros.
Compare with
irgendwo vs etwa
about / approximately
'etwa' and 'irgendwo' can both express an imprecise statement, but they do not always fit in the same context. 'etwa' is the normal choice when a number, quantity, or time is only approximate. 'irgendwo' primarily means an unspecified place. Colloquially, you can also use it with numbers, for example 'irgendwo bei 50 Euro' (somewhere around 50 euros). But that sounds more casual and less precise. The words can be confused because both show indefiniteness. Remember: for clear and neutral approximate numbers, 'etwa' is safer; 'irgendwo' mainly fits with places, or very colloquially with numbers.
irgendwo
Der Schlüssel muss irgendwo in der Küche liegen.
The key must be somewhere in the kitchen.
etwa
Bei der Arbeit hat sie etwa dreißig E-Mails beantwortet.
At work, she answered about thirty emails.
In real life
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