Word
Was auch immer du mitnehmen möchtest, der Rucksack ist voll.
Meaning
Whatever you would like to take along, the backpack is full.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Was auch immer du mitnehmen möchtest, der Rucksack ist voll.
sein
to be
du
you (informal singular)
auch
also, too
immer
always
Questions & Answers about Was auch immer du mitnehmen möchtest, der Rucksack ist voll.
What does was auch immer mean here, and can the words be separated?
Was auch immer translates to 'whatever' or 'no matter what'. While they are grouped together here at the start of the sentence, it is also very common to separate them by placing the subject in between: Was du auch immer mitnehmen möchtest, ...
Why is the main clause der Rucksack ist voll instead of ist der Rucksack voll? Doesn't the first clause take up Position 1?
This is a great catch! Normally, a subordinate clause in the first position forces the main clause to start with its verb. However, generalizing clauses with auch immer (and egal) often act as a detached introductory thought. Because they sit outside the core structure of the main sentence, the main clause just uses standard Subject-Verb word order.
Could I use egal was instead of was auch immer?
Absolutely. Egal, was du mitnehmen möchtest is a perfectly natural, slightly more conversational alternative that means exactly the same thing. Just like with was auch immer, the main clause keeps its regular word order in this context.
Quick refresher: why is the order mitnehmen möchtest at the end of the first clause?
Because the first part of the sentence is a subordinate clause, the conjugated verb (möchtest) is kicked to the very end. The infinitive verb (mitnehmen) sits right in front of it.