adjectiveadverb

anders

differently · different · other

Es beschreibt etwas, das nicht gleich oder nicht so wie gewohnt ist.

Definition & meaning

The word anders is primarily used to describe something that is different, altered, or done in a another way. It can function in two main ways:

As a predicate adjective: It describes a state or condition that is not the same as another. For example, "Heute ist alles anders" (Today everything is different).
As an adverb: It describes the manner in which an action is performed. For example, "Du musst es anders machen" (You have to do it differently).

In certain contexts, it can also mean "otherwise" or "else," particularly when used with words like "niemand" (nobody) or "wo" (where), such as in "woanders" (somewhere else).

Grammar & Word origin

anders is an indeclinable word, meaning it does not change its form regardless of the gender, number, or case of the noun it refers to.

It originates from the Middle High German word anderst or anders, which is derived from the root ander (other). It is related to the English word "other" and the Old High German andars. While it shares a root with the adjective ander, anders is specifically used for comparisons of manner or state, whereas ander is used as a distributive or quantifying adjective (e.g., "die andere Frau" - the other woman).