thing
gb/θˈɪŋ/ us/θˈɪŋ/
A1
Inglés
~ 200
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
A1
entity
1
an object or entity
An object, fact, or idea when we do not know or do not want to say its name.
Patrón de uso:
[something] is a thing
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes overuse 'thing' instead of using a more specific word, which can make speech unclear.
Sinónimos
object (Refers to a physical item; more specific than 'thing'.)
|
item (Often used for individual objects in a group; more formal than 'thing'.)
Antónimos
nothing (Indicates the absence of any object or entity.)
Colocaciones
the right thing
|the first thing
|good thing
|the only thing
Temas
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Can you pass me that thing on the table?
- The best thing about this city is the food.
- There’s one thing I need to tell you.
- It’s a strange thing to say.
- The only thing we can do now is wait.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- This is my favorite thing.
- I need one more thing from the shop.
- That thing is very old.
- The big thing is on the floor.
Sustantivo
informal
B1
entity
2
a personal interest or specialty
Something a person likes a lot or does often.
Patrón de uso:
[someone]'s thing is [activity]
Error frecuente:
Some learners confuse this with the general meaning of 'thing' and use it without the personal interest context.
Sinónimos
specialty (More formal; suggests an area of expertise.)
|
passion (Stronger emotional connection than 'thing'.)
Antónimos
disinterest (Lack of interest in an activity or subject.)
Colocaciones
not my thing
|do your own thing
|make a thing of
Temas
daily life
|hobbies
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Cooking is really her thing.
- I’m not into hiking; it’s just not my thing.
- He made photography his thing after retiring.
- Dancing isn’t my thing, but I’ll try.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Soccer is my thing.
- Music is his thing.
- Drawing is not my thing.
- Traveling is her thing.
Sustantivo
A2
entity
3
a situation or matter
A situation, event, or problem that people talk about or deal with.
Patrón de uso:
the [adjective] thing is [clause]
Sinónimos
issue (More formal; often refers to problems or topics for discussion.)
|
matter (Formal; refers to a subject under consideration.)
Antónimos
non-issue (Something that does not need to be considered or worried about.)
Colocaciones
the funny thing is
|the main thing is
|the important thing is
Temas
daily life
|news
|communication
|business
Ejemplos
- The strange thing is, no one saw him leave.
- The main thing is to stay calm.
- One thing led to another and we ended up in Paris.
- The funny thing about it was how quickly it ended.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The good thing is we can go home early.
- The bad thing is it will rain tomorrow.
- The important thing is to be happy.
- The strange thing is she didn’t call.
Sustantivo
informal
B1
entity
4
a popular trend or fad
Something new that many people like for a short time.
Patrón de uso:
[something] is a thing now
Sinónimos
trend (More formal; often used in marketing and fashion contexts.)
|
fad (Implies short-lived popularity.)
Antónimos
tradition (A long-established custom or practice.)
Colocaciones
become a thing
|make something a thing
Temas
culture
|fashion
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
Ejemplos
- Is brunch still a thing?
- Yoga with goats became a thing last summer.
- Apparently, wearing socks with sandals is a thing now.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- That game is a big thing now.
- Drinking tea with milk is a new thing here.
- Selfie sticks were a big thing last year.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
thing
AFI
GB/θˈɪŋ/
US/θˈɪŋ/
Sílabas y acento
thing (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (thing)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: thing
- Plural: thing, things
Familia de palabras
Forms
things
noun
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
nothing
pronoun A1
Related words
thingy
noun B2
Advanced or less common
thingamajig
noun B2
Expresiones
do your own thing
1/dˈu jˈʊɹ ˈoʊn θˈɪŋ/
idiom
informal
act independently in own style
To do what you want in your own way.
Ejemplos
- She always does her own thing, no matter what others say.
- I prefer to do my own thing instead of following trends.
make a big thing of (something)
1/mˈeɪk ə bˈɪɡ θˈɪŋ əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
idiom
informal
exaggerate the importance of something
To treat something as more important than it really is.
Ejemplos
- Don’t make a big thing of it—it was just a small mistake.
- They made a big thing of his late arrival.
one thing led to another
1/wˈʌn θˈɪŋ lˈɛd tə ənˈʌðɚ/
idiom
events happened in sequence to outcome
Used to explain that events happened one after another and caused something without giving details.
Ejemplos
- We met at a party, and one thing led to another—we’re now married.
- I started helping her move, and one thing led to another and I ended up painting her house.
the next big thing
1/ðə nˈɛkst bˈɪɡ θˈɪŋ/
fixed phrase
expected future popular success
Something that people think will become very popular soon.
Ejemplos
- This new app could be the next big thing in social media.
- Everyone’s talking about him as the next big thing in music.
the real thing
1/ðə ɹˈil θˈɪŋ/
fixed phrase
genuine example of something
The true or best example of something, not fake.
Ejemplos
- This perfume isn’t cheap—it’s the real thing.
- After years of practice, she’s now the real thing in the art world.