was
what
Asks about an unknown thing, content, event, or action.
EXAMPLE
Was hast du gestern gekauft?
What did you buy yesterday?
was
what / something
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Meanings
was
what
Introduces a relative clause and usually refers to something indefinite, a neuter pronoun such as 'das' (that) or 'alles' (everything), or the content of an entire sentence.
EXAMPLE
Alles, was du mir erzählt hast, bleibt unter uns.
Everything you told me will remain between us.
was
something
Colloquially means 'etwas' (something) or 'ein wenig' (a little).
EXAMPLE
Ich muss noch was essen.
I still need to eat something.
was für ein
what kind of
Asks about the type or characteristics of a person or thing.
EXAMPLE
Was für ein Buch suchst du?
What kind of book are you looking for?
was für ein
what a
Expresses strong surprise, admiration, or disapproval in an exclamation.
EXAMPLE
Was für ein wunderschöner Ausblick!
What a beautiful view!
so was
something like that
Refers to a thing, behavior, or event of this kind; the expression often conveys surprise or disapproval.
EXAMPLE
So was Unverschämtes habe ich noch nie erlebt!
I've never experienced anything so outrageous!
was ... angeht
as for
Introduces the topic or area to which a statement relates.
EXAMPLE
Was die Kosten angeht, müssen wir noch einmal verhandeln.
As for the costs, we need to negotiate again.
was
why
Regionally or colloquially means 'warum' (why) and asks for the reason behind an action.
EXAMPLE
Was weinst du denn?
Why are you crying?
Usage tips
Indirect question
In an indirect question, 'was' (what) introduces a subordinate clause, so the conjugated verb comes at the end. Such subordinate clauses often follow verbs relating to knowing, asking, or explaining.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mir sagen, was dieser Ausdruck bedeutet?
Can you tell me what this expression means?
Position in questions
In a direct question, 'was' (what) can stand on its own at the beginning of the sentence or occur within a prepositional phrase. In a direct content question, the conjugated verb follows immediately afterward.
EXAMPLE
Was interessiert dich an diesem Kurs?
What interests you about this course?
Relative clause
As a relative pronoun, 'was' (what) introduces a subordinate clause: a comma comes before the relative clause, and the conjugated verb comes at the end. Common antecedents are 'alles' (everything), 'nichts' (nothing), 'etwas' (something), and 'das' (that).
EXAMPLE
Nichts, was er vorgeschlagen hat, war wirklich neu.
Nothing he suggested was really new.
Sentence reference
'Was' (which) can refer to the entire content of the preceding sentence. The relative clause that follows then often contains an evaluation, explanation, or consequence of that statement.
EXAMPLE
Die Sitzung wurde kurzfristig abgesagt, was viele Kollegen ärgerte.
The meeting was canceled at short notice, which annoyed many colleagues.
Typical collocations
The indefinite 'was' (something) is often used with 'noch' (still/another), 'mal' (once), or 'schnell' (quickly), as well as with verbs such as 'essen' (to eat), 'trinken' (to drink), 'fragen' (to ask), and 'sagen' (to say). In such combinations, it is usually unstressed.
EXAMPLE
Darf ich dich noch was fragen?
May I ask you something else?
Case in sentences
With 'was für ein' (what kind of), the case of the noun phrase depends on its function in the sentence; here, 'für' does not automatically require the accusative. The phrase can therefore appear in the nominative, accusative, or dative.
EXAMPLE
Was für ein Mensch tut so etwas?
What kind of person does something like that?
Plural pattern
With a plural noun, 'was für' (what kind of) is used without 'ein' (a/an). An adjective can still appear between 'für' and the noun.
EXAMPLE
Was für technische Probleme sind aufgetreten?
What kind of technical problems occurred?
Verbless exclamation
In exclamations, 'was für ein' (what a) often forms an independent noun phrase without a conjugated verb. A strongly evaluative adjective usually conveys the emotional meaning.
EXAMPLE
Was für eine unangenehme Überraschung!
What an unpleasant surprise!
Nominalized adjective
After 'so was' (something like that), an adjective can be used as a noun. It is then capitalized and often has the ending '-es'.
EXAMPLE
So was Merkwürdiges sieht man wirklich selten.
You really don't see anything that strange very often.
Opening topic
The construction 'was … angeht' (as for …) often appears at the beginning of a sentence and forms a subordinate clause with 'angeht' at the end. The main clause follows, with its conjugated verb immediately after the comma.
EXAMPLE
Was den neuen Zeitplan angeht, brauchen wir noch genauere Informationen.
As for the new schedule, we still need more precise information.
Typical topics
The construction often includes specific topics of discussion, such as costs, dates, quality, safety, or a person involved. When referring to a person, that person is in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Was mich angeht, könnt ihr schon morgen beginnen.
As far as I'm concerned, you can start as early as tomorrow.
Colloquial pattern
When asking for a reason, this use of 'was' (why) often appears at the beginning of the sentence and is frequently combined with the particle 'denn'. The conjugated verb follows, as in a direct question.
EXAMPLE
Was schaust du denn so traurig?
Why do you look so sad?
Compare with
was vs etwas
something / somewhat
Etwas and was can both refer to an unspecified thing. Etwas is neutral and also suitable in more formal situations; was with this meaning is colloquial and is mainly used in casual conversations.
was
Ich muss dir noch was erklären.
I still have to explain something to you.
etwas
Ich muss Ihnen noch etwas erklären.
I still have to explain something to you.
In real life
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