was
Translation
what, something, that which
Examples
Was ist das?
What is that?
Was machst du?
What are you doing?
Ich habe was gegessen.
I ate something.
Grammar Patterns
Was + Verb ...? (Interrogative) What ...? Was ist passiert?
..., was ... (Relative) that which / what Das ist alles, was ich weiß.
was (short for etwas) something Hast du was gesagt?
Similar Words
etwas (something); wie (how)
Etymology
From Old High German 'hwaz', cognate with English 'what'.
Memory Tips
Sounds and means exactly like 'what'.