iergend-

Someone, Somewhere: Iergend-

Level 3

Put iergend- in front of a word to say you do not know, or it does not matter, who, what, where, how or when: Iergendeen huet ugeruff. (Someone called.) Mäi Schlëssel läit iergendwou am Haus.

How It Works

1. The iergend- words

  • iergendeen: someone, anyone (a person)
  • iergendeppes: something, anything
  • iergendwou: somewhere; iergendwouhin: to somewhere; iergendwouhier: from somewhere
  • iergendwéi: somehow
  • iergendwann: at some point, some day

They build on words you know: eppes, wou and wéi. Iergend- adds the idea that the speaker does not know, or does not care, exactly which one.

2. Before a noun
Before a noun, use iergenden with masculine nouns and iergendeng with feminine nouns, much like en and eng. With neuter nouns you will see both iergende Medikament and iergendee Kand:

  • Mir mussen iergendeng Léisung fannen. (We have to find some solution.)
  • Hien huet iergende Medikament kritt. (He got some medicine or other.)

3. The n-rule
Iergendeen, iergenden and iergendwann follow the n-rule. Before most consonants the n drops: Hues du iergendee gesinn? Before a vowel, d, h, n, t, z and punctuation it stays: Iergendeen huet ugeruff.

4. In questions: any
In a question, iergend- words often match English any: Hues du iergendee gesinn? (Did you see anyone?) Hues du iergendeng Fro? (Do you have any question?)

5. Negative sentences
For not anyone or not anything, do not combine net with iergend-. Use the negative words: keen (no one), näischt (nothing), néierens (nowhere). See jiddereen and keen.

6. Spelling
The official spelling writes these words as one: iergendeen, iergendeppes, iergendwou, iergendwéi. Only iergend esou een and iergend esou eppes (some such person, some such thing) are written apart.

Examples (6)

  1. Iergendeen huet ugeruff.

    Someone called.

    The n of iergendeen stays before h.

  2. Mäi Schlëssel läit iergendwou am Haus.

    My key is somewhere in the house.

  3. Mir fannen iergendwéi eng Léisung.

    We'll find a solution somehow.

  4. Ech liesen dat Buch iergendwann eng Kéier.

    I'll read that book at some point.

  5. Hues du iergendee gesinn?

    Did you see anyone?

    In a question, iergendeen means anyone. It loses its n before g.

  6. Hien huet iergendeppes gesot.

    He said something or other.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing iergend- as a separate word.

    Mäi Schlëssel läit iergend wou am Haus.
    Mäi Schlëssel läit iergendwou am Haus.

    Iergendwou, iergendeen, iergendeppes and iergendwéi are written as one word.

  • Keeping the n of iergendeen before most consonants.

    Hues du iergendeen gesinn?
    Hues du iergendee gesinn?

    Iergendeen follows the n-rule like keen and jiddereen, so the n drops before g.

  • Adding net to say "not anything" (meant: I did not find anything).

    Ech hunn net iergendeppes fonnt.
    Ech hunn näischt fonnt.

    Net iergendeppes would mean not just anything. For not anything, use näischt; for not anyone, use keen.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

iergend-Level 3Someone, Somewhere: Iergend-

Learn This First

Before Someone, Somewhere: Iergend-, learn Something and Nothing: Eppes and Näischt and Where and Where To: Wou and Wuer.

Words in This Pattern

iergendeeniergendeppesiergendwouiergendwéiiergendwann