Is there somewhere/anywhere I can stay the night?

[Ashraful Haque]

Is there somewhere/anywhere I can stay the night?
Is there somewhere/anywhere we can sit?

I hear this type of sentences all the time. A few years ago I was in a hotel in Singapore. I was looking for a trash can and asked the receptionist "Is there somewhere I can throw this away?" I wonder if replacing 'somewhere' with 'anywhere' would make any difference.

 

[emsr2d2]

They're both possible in all three scenarios. In the first question, I have no preference. In the second, I'd be more likely to use "somewhere". In the example about the trash can, I'd probably use "somewhere".

 

[probus]

Is there anywhere I can stay the night? To me that asks merely whether such a place exists.

Is there sonewhere I can stay the night? That could also have the same meaning as the first question but it's probably also asking whether there's a specific place the person would recommend.

 

[Ashraful Haque]

Is there anywhere I can stay the night? To me that asks merely whether such a place exists.

Is there sonewhere I can stay the night? That could also have the same meaning as the first question but it's probably also asking whether there's a specific place the person would recommend.

Would you use 'somewhere' for the trash can example for the same reason? (Is there somewhere I can throw this away?)
If so, is it because we know there are trash cans in all hotels?

 

[Tarheel]

Yes. I would assume they have one or more trashcans. How could they not?

 

[jutfrank]

I was looking for a trash can and asked the receptionist "Is there somewhere I can throw this away?" I wonder if replacing 'somewhere' with 'anywhere' would make any difference.

No, in that you'd get the same answer either way.

But yes, 'somewhere' and 'anywhere' do have different meanings, as you probably know. Using 'somewhere' suggests that you have in mind a designated place.

 

[Tarheel]

@Ashraful Haque I didn't mean to say you can't use the other one. You can.

 

[Ashraful Haque]

@Ashraful Haque I didn't mean to say you can't use the other one. You can.

Give the context, can you think of a situation where using one over the other would be incorrect?

 

[Tarheel]

@Ashraful Haque It's interesting that there should be another post in this one. I've been thinking that this is one of those times when "yes" and "no" mean the same thing (probably because of the way the question was phrased).

Will people understand what you mean when you say it? If the answer is "yes" then don't worry about it.

The two things might in theory mean something different, but in practice, no.