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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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