Learn German: Ich hoffe, dass es etwas bedeutet. - I hope that it means something.

This happens because of the word dass (that). Dass introduces a dependent clause, and in German, this type of word always pushes the conjugated verb to the very end of its clause.

Do I always need to put a comma before dass?

Yes! In English, we do not usually put a comma before 'that' in a sentence like 'I hope that it means something.' But in German, you must always separate the main clause (Ich hoffe) from a dass clause with a comma.

Can I leave out the word dass, just like we sometimes leave out 'that' in English?

Yes, you can say Ich hoffe, es bedeutet etwas. But notice what happens to the word order: without dass, the verb bedeutet goes back to its normal position right after the subject (es), instead of being pushed to the end.

Is there a shorter way to say etwas in everyday speech?

Yes. In casual spoken German, etwas (something) is very often shortened to was. So you will frequently hear people say Ich hoffe, dass es was bedeutet.