irgendwie
/ɪɐ̯ɡəntˈviː/
In German, 'kind of' is translated as irgendwie.
The word irgendwie is used to convey the sense of 'kind of' or 'somehow'.
Meaning: somewhat (adv)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Austria, the phrase so ein bissl is used to mean 'kind of', while in Bavarian dialects, the phrase a weng is used to convey 'kind of'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike the English 'kind of', which can function as an adjective or adverb, irgendwie is an adverb and typically precedes the adjective or verb it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɪɐ̯ɡəntˈviː/
Did you know?
- The word irgendwie is built from irgend, which is used in many German words to create an indefinite sense, similar to the English prefix 'some-'.
- You can create a sense of 'it is what it is' by pairing irgendwie with the particle halt. For example, saying Es ist irgendwie halt so suggests a sense of resignation that 'kind of' alone does not convey in English.
- While English speakers use 'kind of' to soften a statement, using irgendwie in German can sometimes sound more like you are searching for a logical way to explain something rather than just being vague.
Examples in context
- Ich mag es irgendwie.I'm kind of into that.This sentence shows how to use irgendwie to express liking something.Tatoeba #4965662 by freddy1, translation #4963983 by CK
- Er war irgendwie süß.He was kind of cute.This sentence demonstrates using irgendwie to describe someone as cute.Tatoeba #7273061 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #7217226 by Hybrid
- Ich mag ihn irgendwie.I kind of like him.This sentence illustrates using irgendwie to express liking someone.Tatoeba #4683015 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #4660260 by Hybrid
- Es ist irgendwie lustig.It's kind of funny.
- 55 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Maximilian are discussing a movie they just watched.
- LauraWie fandest du den Film?How did you like the movie?
- MaximilianEr war irgendwie langweilig.It was kind of boring.
- LauraDas stimmt, aber die Musik war gut.That's true, but the music was good.
- MaximilianJa, das war irgendwie entspannend.Yes, that was kind of relaxing.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry irgendwie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries irgendwie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
