etwas/nichts

Something/Nothing

Level 1

Etwas = something / some
Nichts = nothing
These words never change their endings (indeclinable).

How It Works

1. Basic Usage
Both words are indefinite pronouns. Etwas refers to an unspecified object or fact (Ich esse etwas - I am eating something). Nichts is the absolute negation (Ich esse nichts - I am eating nothing).

2. Determiner Function
Etwas can also mean 'some' or 'a little bit of' when placed before uncountable nouns, such as etwas Wasser (some water) or etwas Zeit (some time).

3. Adverbial Usage ('A bit')
When etwas is used as an adverb before an adjective, it means 'somewhat' or 'a bit' (e.g., Das ist etwas teuer - That is a bit expensive). In this case, the adjective is not capitalized and functions as an adjective predicate.

4. Interaction with Adjectives
When you want to say 'something good', the adjective becomes a nominalized adjective. In this case:

  • The adjective must be capitalized (e.g., etwas Gutes).
  • The adjective follows strong declension. It takes -es in the nominative/accusative, but -em in the dative (e.g., mit etwas Gutem).

5. Relative Clauses
If you follow 'etwas' or 'nichts' with a relative clause, you must use the relative pronoun was (e.g., nichts, was ich kenne).

6. Genitive Relationship
Since etwas and nichts do not have a genitive form, you must use von + dative to express a genitive relationship (e.g., Ich sehe den Anfang von etwas Neuem - I see the beginning of something new).

7. Colloquial Forms
In everyday spoken German, etwas is often shortened to was. While nichts is standard, you might hear nix in very casual settings.

Examples (6)

  1. Ich habe etwas für dich.

    I have something for you.

    Word by Word: I have something for you.

    A simple use of 'etwas' as a direct object in the accusative case.

  2. Ich trinke etwas Wasser.

    I am drinking some water.

    Word by Word: I drink some water.

    Here 'etwas' acts as a determiner meaning 'some' or 'a little bit' before an uncountable noun.

  3. Wir haben heute etwas Interessantes gelernt.

    We learned something interesting today.

    Word by Word: We have today something interesting learned.

    Notice how 'Interessantes' is capitalized and ends in -es because it follows 'etwas'.

  4. Das ist etwas, was ich mag.

    That is something that I like.

    Word by Word: That is something, what I like.

    When a relative clause follows 'etwas', you must use the relative pronoun was instead of 'das'.

  5. Er ist mit etwas Neuem beschäftigt.

    He is busy with something new.

    Word by Word: He is with something new busy.

    Because 'mit' requires the dative case, the adjective 'Neuem' takes the strong dative ending -em.

  6. Ich möchte etwas anderes essen.

    I would like to eat something else.

    Word by Word: I would-like something other to-eat.

    Note that 'anderes' is a special case; it is often written in lowercase even when following 'etwas'.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to capitalize the adjective after etwas/nichts.

    Ich sehe etwas schönes.
    Ich sehe etwas Schönes.

    Adjectives following 'etwas' or 'nichts' function as nouns and must be capitalized.

  • Confusing 'nichts' (nothing) with 'nicht' (not).

    Ich habe nicht gekauft.
    Ich habe nichts gekauft.

    'Nicht' negates a verb or entire sentence, while 'nichts' is a pronoun meaning 'nothing'. If you bought zero items, use 'nichts'.

  • Assuming the adjective ending is always -es.

    Ich bin mit etwas Neues zufrieden.
    Ich bin mit etwas Neuem zufrieden.

    Adjectives following 'etwas' or 'nichts' follow strong declension. While they usually end in -es (nominative/accusative), they take the ending -em in the dative case (e.g., after 'mit').

How It Connects

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etwas/nichtsLevel 1Something/Nothing

Learn This First

To use 'etwas' (something) and 'nichts' (nothing), you need a basic understanding of German sentence structure and how to negate concepts. Since these words often function as objects, knowing how to use common verbs like 'haben' is essential for forming basic sentences.

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nichts