Breakdown of Er drijft wat in het water.
het water
the water
in
in
er
there (existential)
wat
something / some (a little)
Questions & Answers about Er drijft wat in het water.
The translation says "something", but doesn't wat mean "what"?
Yes, wat usually means "what" as a question word. However, in everyday Dutch, it is very commonly used as an unstressed, casual replacement for iets (something). You will hear native speakers use wat like this all the time.
Could wat also mean "a little bit" in this sentence?
Technically wat can mean "a little" or "some" (for example, Ik drink wat water means "I am drinking some water"). But in this specific sentence, because it refers to a distinct physical object floating, it translates to "something".
Why does the sentence start with Er? Couldn't I just say "Iets drijft in het water"?
Dutch uses er (there) as a "dummy subject" when you introduce an indefinite subject—an unspecified "something" or "someone"—happening in a specific location. Saying Iets drijft in het water sounds unnatural to a Dutch ear. Just like in English you often say "There is something floating..." rather than "Something floats...", Dutch requires er here to make the sentence flow properly.
Does drijven also mean "to drive"?
No, that is a common mix-up! Drijven means "to float" on a liquid, or "to drift". If you want to say "to drive" (a vehicle), you should use rijden or besturen. Also, note that if something is floating in the air (like a balloon or a ghost), Dutch uses a different verb: zweven.