German word

irgendwie

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈɪʁgn̩tˈviː/

Meaning

  • adverbsomehow

Example

Irgendwie mag ich dieses Lied.

I somehow like this song.

Illustration for irgendwie (somehow)

More examples

Das Gespräch war irgendwie schwierig.

The conversation was somehow difficult.

Core concept

A speaker senses that something is so without identifying the reason or method behind it.

Common phrases

  • irgendwie schwierig

    somehow difficult

  • irgendwie besser

    somehow better

Similar words

vielleicht: Shows that something is possible but not certain.
wahrscheinlich: Shows that something is considered very likely.
wohl: Shows fairly strong confidence that something is true.
anscheinend: Shows a judgment based on appearances or available information.

Definition in German

Bezeichnet einen vagen Eindruck oder eine unbestimmte Ursache, mildert Aussagen und zeigt an, dass der Sprecher sich nicht sicher ist.

Word origin

Irgendwie developed as a compound of irgend and wie, expressing an unspecified answer to the question 'how?'.

Usage tips

  • Its position and context distinguish a vague 'somehow' from an unexplained 'for some reason', so the surrounding clause supplies the intended reading.

Other meanings

  • for some reasonadverb
  • by some meansadverb

Opposites

Related words

  • irgendeinsomearticle
  • irgendwoherfrom somewhereadverb

Word lists with this word