thing
gb/θˈɪŋ/ us/θˈɪŋ/
A1
Kiingereza
~ 200
Maana
maana 0
Nomino
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.
Muundo wa matumizi:
[something] is a thing
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes overuse 'thing' instead of using a more specific word, which can make speech unclear.
Visawe
object (Refers to a physical item; more specific than 'thing'.)
|
item (Often used for individual objects in a group; more formal than 'thing'.)
Vinyume
nothing (Indicates the absence of any object or entity.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
the right thing
|the first thing
|good thing
|the only thing
Mada
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Nomino
informal
B1
entity
2
a personal interest or specialty
Something a person likes a lot or does often.
Muundo wa matumizi:
[someone]'s thing is [activity]
Kosa la kawaida:
Some learners confuse this with the general meaning of 'thing' and use it without the personal interest context.
Visawe
specialty (More formal; suggests an area of expertise.)
|
passion (Stronger emotional connection than 'thing'.)
Vinyume
disinterest (Lack of interest in an activity or subject.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
not my thing
|do your own thing
|make a thing of
Mada
daily life
|hobbies
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- Soccer is my thing.
- Music is his thing.
- Drawing is not my thing.
- Traveling is her thing.
Nomino
A2
entity
3
a situation or matter
A situation, event, or problem that people talk about or deal with.
Muundo wa matumizi:
the [adjective] thing is [clause]
Visawe
issue (More formal; often refers to problems or topics for discussion.)
|
matter (Formal; refers to a subject under consideration.)
Vinyume
non-issue (Something that does not need to be considered or worried about.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
the funny thing is
|the main thing is
|the important thing is
Mada
daily life
|news
|communication
|business
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Nomino
informal
B1
entity
4
a popular trend or fad
Something new that many people like for a short time.
Muundo wa matumizi:
[something] is a thing now
Visawe
trend (More formal; often used in marketing and fashion contexts.)
|
fad (Implies short-lived popularity.)
Vinyume
tradition (A long-established custom or practice.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
become a thing
|make something a thing
Mada
culture
|fashion
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
Mifano
- Is brunch still a thing?
- Yoga with goats became a thing last summer.
- Apparently, wearing socks with sandals is a thing now.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- That game is a big thing now.
- Drinking tea with milk is a new thing here.
- Selfie sticks were a big thing last year.
Sarufi
Umbo la kamusi
thing
IPA
GB/θˈɪŋ/
US/θˈɪŋ/
Silabi na mkazo
thing (silabi 1)
Stress on 1st syllable (thing)
Maumbo ya neno
Noun
- Base: thing
- Plural: thing, things
Familia ya neno
Forms
things
noun
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
nothing
pronoun A1
Related words
thingy
noun B2
Advanced or less common
thingamajig
noun B2
Semi
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.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- This perfume isn’t cheap—it’s the real thing.
- After years of practice, she’s now the real thing in the art world.