Generalizing with auch immer
To express open-ended concepts like "whatever," "wherever," or "whoever," German combines a question word (like was, wo, or wer) with the phrase auch immer.
These generalizing phrases create subordinate clauses, sending the conjugated verb to the very end of the auch immer clause.
| Whatever happens, we are setting out tomorrow. | Was auch immer passiert, wir ziehen morgen los. |
| Wherever we find an accommodation, we are staying there. | Wo auch immer wir eine Unterkunft finden, wir bleiben dort. |
Notice the word order in the main clauses above. Auch immer clauses often act as loosely connected introductory phrases. When they do, the main clause that follows keeps its normal Subject-Verb word order rather than starting with the verb.
Declining wer auch immer
Just like regular pronouns, wer (whoever) changes form to match its grammatical case inside the auch immer clause.
If "whoever" is the subject, it takes the nominative case (wer):
| Whoever has the travel guide must plan the next stage. | Wer auch immer den Reiseführer hat, muss die nächste Etappe planen. |
If it is the direct object, it takes the accusative form (wen):
| Whoever we meet, we are hitchhiking to the horizon. | Wen auch immer wir treffen, wir trampen bis zum Horizont. |
If it is the object of a dative verb like begegnen (to encounter), it takes the dative form (wem):
| Whoever we encounter, the people are friendly. | Wem auch immer wir begegnen, die Leute sind freundlich. |
Directional Travel
You can combine auch immer with directional words like wohin to express "wherever (to)."
| We hitchhike wherever the travel route leads. | Wir trampen, wohin auch immer die Reiseroute führt. |