There are several ways to express "anyway" in German, depending on the function that the word is supposed to have. There are four main words to know, but you'd be surprised at which words can take on a similar meaning. 

Let's start with examples in which "anyway" has a confirming function, which can be expressed with eh, sowieso, or ohnehin. In the following sentences, there is a match in what is going on, or something may already be the case.

BANNER PLACEHOLDER

Ist das aber kalt! und schwimmen kann ich sowieso nicht.

Is that ever cold! and I can't swim anyway.

Captions 35-36, Piggeldy und Frederick - Der Himmel

 Play Caption

Ich hab ja auch eh nichts mehr zu verlieren.

I have nothing left to lose anyway.

Caption 11, Das Lügenbüro - Die Bewerbung

 Play Caption

...aber da ich ohnehin lieber ein Marmeladenbrot essen möchte,

...but since I'd rather have a slice of bread with marmalade anyway,

werd' ich jetzt rübergehen zum Brot und mir eine Scheibe Brot schneiden. 

I am going go over to the bread and cut myself a slice of bread. 

Captions 5-6, Jenny beim Frühstück - Teil 2

 Play Caption

However, eh and sowieso can't always be used. For sentences in which "anyway" has a contradictory meaning (and could potentially be replaced with "despite that" or "nevertheless"), trotzdem is the word you're looking for. 

Die Hühner legten aber trotzdem weiter Eier

But the chickens kept laying eggs anyway,

und sogar mehr als sonst.

and even more than usual.

Captions 17-18, Cettina und Sabine - Ostern

 Play Caption

Hätte ich voll Angst vor, aber würde ich trotzdem machen.

I would be totally afraid of it, but I would do it anyway.

Caption 51, Free Birds - Interview mit Nora Tschirner & Rick Kavanian

 Play Caption

There is then also a conversational "anyway," which various words in German provide in particular contexts. As you will notice right away, these words are not always or even usually translated as "anyway," but the equivalent phrase uses it to express the intended meaning. 

Gut. Und wo befindet sich Bayern überhaupt?

Good. And where is Bavaria located anyway?

Caption 10, Bundesländer und ihre Rezepte - Bayern

 Play Caption

Wer braucht schon Hollywood?

Who needs Hollywood anyway?

Caption 1, Berlinale - Schauspieler Jürgen Vogel

 Play Caption

Wie alt ist er denn?

How old is he anyway?

Caption 8, Ein Herz für Tiere - Tierschutzhof und Border Collie

 Play Caption

Na, jedenfalls, arbeiten wir mit sechs Kameras.

Well, anyway, we'll be working with six cameras.

Caption 34, Otto Waalkes - Hier kommt Otto!

 Play Caption

Na ja, wie auch immer, also, wie Sie das mit der Kerze hingekriegt haben, das war... fantastisch.

Well, anyway, so, however you did that with the candle, that was... fantastic.

Caption 13, Weihnachtsmann gesucht - Bist du verliebt?

 Play Caption

Further Learning
You can find many examples of sowieso, eh, ohnehin, and trotzdem being used on Yabla German. When you see one, consider why the chosen word is being used. When you find yourself using the word "anyway," you can consider which German word would fit the particular meaning you are conveying.

If you look carefully at the words gespannt and entspannt in the sentence below, you'll notice that gespannt is a participle (of spannen), whereas entspannt is an adverb. 

BANNER PLACEHOLDER

Dann werden die Pferde vor die Kutsche gespannt und man kann ganz entspannt durch Dahlem fahren.

Then the horses are hitched up in front of the coach and one can ride very leisurely through Dahlem.

Captions 39-40, Berlin - Domäne Dahlem - Part 1

 Play Caption

However, you have probably also seen gespannt used as an adjective, and also perhaps come across spannend or verspannt. Let's take a look at some examples and clarify the meanings of all of these words. 

Above, entspannt is used as an adverb to mean "leisurely" or "in a relaxed way." As an adjective it means "relaxed," or you might see it as the verb entspannen, which means — you guessed it — "to relax." 

Aber es entspannt mich. -O ja.

But it relaxes me. -Oh yes.

Caption 15, Kolkhorst - Konzert

 Play Caption

Und das ist sehr, sehr, sehr entspannt im Gegensatz zu München, Hamburg, Berlin.

And that's very, very, very relaxed in contrast to Munich, Hamburg, Berlin.

Caption 19, Fernsehmoderatorin - Sonya Kraus

 Play Caption

Spannend is an adjective used to describe something that is "exciting," "interesting," or "intriguing."

Auf der Berlinale zu laufen ist schon wahnsinnig spannend.

Attending the Berlinale, indeed, is insanely exciting.

Caption 7, Berlinale - Schauspieler Jürgen Vogel

 Play Caption

Ich finde es sehr spannend, wie viele Facetten so ein Film hat

I find it very exciting how many facets a film like this has.

Caption 48, Filmtrailer - Der kleine Rabe Socke

 Play Caption

Be aware: spannend almost never describes people. It means "exciting" and NOT "excited," which is the meaning of the adjective gespannt. 

Ich bin mal gespannt, wie es klappt. Ich hoffe, es gefällt euch.

I am excited to see how it will go. I hope you like it.

Caption 41, Eva Croissant - Interview - Part 2

 Play Caption

Two other words you should know are angespannt and verspannt. They both translate as "tense" in a more negative sense, and often refer to the body rather than the mind.

Bauch ist leicht angespannt. Wenn wir hochkommen: ausatmen...

The belly is slightly tensed. When we come up, breathe out...

Caption 34, Workout mit Erik - Übungen für Arme, Beine, Po, Rücken

 Play Caption

Genau da, wo er so verspannt ist, da muss er ziehen.

exactly where it is so tense, it has to stretch there.

Caption 32, Nackenschmerzen, steifer Nacken, steifer Hals - Übungen gegen Nackenverspannungen

 Play Caption

Further Learning

BANNER PLACEHOLDER

Make sure that you understand all related words and can identify what part of speech they occupy in sentences using context clues. This includes the verbs spannen, sich entspannen, (sich) verspannen, and anspannen. There are many examples available on Yabla German.

English adjectives for being sure or certain about something are often interchangeable, but German expressions like bestimmt, gewiss, and sicher are more specific to the particular context in which they are used. Let's take a look at all three.

BANNER PLACEHOLDER

Bestimmt can mean either "definitely"

Du machst Filme und die Leute sagen „Das wird bestimmt so“,

You make films and the people say, "It will definitely be like this",

Caption 34, Berlinale - Schauspieler Jürgen Vogel

 Play Caption

or in the nominalized noun something specific or in particular:

Wenn du mal was Bestimmtes vorhaben würdest...

If you were up to something specific...

Caption 12, Wahlspots - Szenen einer Ehe

 Play Caption

Gewiss can mean "certain" in the standard sense

Die Unterstützung des Schirmherrn

The support of the patron

ist den Fußballfrauen also gewiss.

for the women's soccer [team] is certain.

Captions 13-14, Frauenfußball-WM - Der Bundespräsident am Ball

 Play Caption

or as a suggestion of vagueness or uncertainty, a "certain something":

Aber ein gewisser Druck bleibt trotzdem.

But a certain [amount of] pressure remains nevertheless.

Caption 23, Cro - mit „Melodie“ an Chartspitze

 Play Caption

Sicher can mean "certain"

Ich bin mir sicher, es wird klappen.

I am sure it will work out.

Caption 49, German Intro - Jenny

 Play Caption

but in other contexts it means "safe":

Es is' 'n sicherer Standplatz.

It is a safe location.

Caption 36, Für Tierfreunde - Falknerei Feldberg

 Play Caption

The words bestimmt, gewiss, and sicherlich can be used interchangeably when meaning "of course" or "certainly": Sicherlich / Bestimmt / Gewiss werden wir die Deutschprüfung bestehen. (We will certainly pass the German test.)

BANNER PLACEHOLDER

Further Learning
Search for some uses of bestimmt, gewiss, and sicher (sicherlich too) on Yabla German to learn about the ways some of these expressions are used in context.