Ding
thing
noun DING Less Common
Origin: from Old High German, originally a public assembly
Usage Note
Ding is the all-purpose word for an object, with the colloquial plural Dinger used dismissively alongside the standard Dinge. It survives in idioms like vor allen Dingen ('above all') and guter Dinge sein ('to be in good spirits').
Examples
"Was ist das für ein Ding?"
Natural Translation
What kind of thing is that?
Literal Translation
What is that for a thing?

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