German - English (British) translations for "was"
"was" German translation
Translation
what
Definition
Was is a German pronoun that translates to 'what' in English. It is used to ask questions or express curiosity about something.
Part of speech
pronoun
Translations
This is is an experimental feature. Please report any issues.Meaning: what
Was hast du gestern Abend gemacht?
What did you do last night?
Meaning: something
Ich habe was für dich.
I have something for you.
Meaning: anything
Kannst du mir sagen, ob es was zu essen gibt?
Can you tell me if there is anything to eat?
Meaning: that which
Was ich dir sagen wollte, ist dass ich nicht kommen kann.
That which I wanted to tell you is that I can't come.
Examples
This is is an experimental feature. Please report any issues.A1: Was ist das?
What is that?
A2: Was möchtest du trinken?
What would you like to drink?
A2: Was hast du gestern gemacht?
What did you do yesterday?
B1: Ich weiß nicht, was ich tun soll.
I don't know what to do.
B2: Kannst du mir sagen, was passiert ist?
Can you tell me what happened?
B2: Ich frage mich, was er wohl denkt.
I wonder what he's thinking.
C1: Was wäre passiert, wenn wir früher angekommen wären?
What would have happened if we had arrived earlier?
C2: Ich kann nicht glauben, was ich da gerade gehört habe.
I can't believe what I just heard.
C2: Was immer auch geschieht, ich werde dich immer lieben.
Whatever happens, I will always love you.
Advanced Description
This is is an experimental feature. Please report any issues.In German, was can be used as both an interrogative and relative pronoun. As an interrogative pronoun, it is used to ask questions such as 'Was machst du?' (What are you doing?). As a relative pronoun, it is used to refer to things that have been previously mentioned or implied, such as 'Das Buch, was ich gelesen habe' (The book that I read).
It is important to note that the word was changes its form depending on its grammatical function in the sentence. For example, in the sentence 'Was hast du gesagt?' (What did you say?), was is the subject of the sentence and therefore does not change form. However, in the sentence 'Ich weiß nicht, was du meinst' (I don't know what you mean), was is the object of the sentence and takes on the accusative case form 'was'.
Overall, was is a versatile pronoun that plays an important role in German grammar. Whether used to ask questions or refer to previously mentioned things, it is a fundamental part of the language and essential for effective communication.