Thing in Different Languages

Discover 'Thing' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'thing' is a small but powerful part of our everyday vocabulary. It's a versatile term that can refer to a physical object, an idea, or an event. Its significance lies in its ability to encompass a wide range of concepts, making it a crucial component of how we communicate and understand the world around us.

The cultural importance of the word 'thing' goes beyond its basic definition. In Old English, 'thing' referred to a gathering or assembly, and this meaning has persisted in modern German as 'Ding' and Icelandic as 'thingvellir', the site of the world's first parliament. This historical context highlights the word's deep roots in our language and culture.

Understanding the translation of 'thing' in different languages can provide insight into the unique perspectives and ways of thinking of other cultures. For example, in Spanish, 'cosa' is a direct translation, but in Japanese, 'mono' is a more general term that can also mean 'person' or 'item'.

Explore the many translations of the word 'thing' and discover the rich cultural and linguistic diversity that exists in our world.

Thing in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Thing in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Thing in Western European Languages

Thing in Eastern European Languages

Thing in South Asian Languages

Thing in East Asian Languages

Thing in South East Asian Languages

Thing in Central Asian Languages

Thing in Pacific Languages

Thing in American Indigenous Languages

Thing in International Languages

Thing in Others Languages

Thing

Thing in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaans	ding
	"Ding" is derived from the Proto-Germanic "*þingą" and has meanings including "assembly," "court," and "parliament."
Amharic	ነገር
	The word "ነገር" in Amharic is derived from the Proto-Semitic root n-g-r, meaning "to move". It can also refer to "speech" or "matter".
Hausa	abu
	Its plural, "abubuwa," denotes "property," "affairs," while "abu na..." means "that which is of..."
Igbo	ihe
	The Igbo word 'ihe' can also refer to an event, an issue, or a situation.
Malagasy	zavatra
	The Malagasy word "zavatra" can also mean "substance", "matter", "property", or "wealth" in different contexts.
Nyanja (Chichewa)	chinthu
	"Chinthu" in Nyanja also refers to a matter or issue needing attention.
Shona	chinhu
	The word "chinhu" can also refer to a matter, issue, or affair, and is related to the verb "kuita", meaning "to do".
Somali	shay
	Somali "shay" has an alternate plural form, "waxyaalo," and is also a noun root meaning "to be, to exist."
Sesotho	ntho
	Ntho can also mean 'affair', 'business', or 'matter'.
Swahili	kitu
	The word 'kitu' ('thing') in Swahili can also refer to an object, a matter, or an affair.
Xhosa	into
	In Nguni languages, the cognate -nto signifies a physical location, or 'interior'. For example, in Swati the word endlini translates to 'in/inside the house'.
Yoruba	nkan
	In addition to its primary meaning of "thing" in Yoruba, "nkan" can also refer to a "matter, subject, affair, business, case, or problem."
Zulu	into
	The word 'into' derives from the Proto-Bantu *in-tu 'thing'. This is a common Bantu root and so it has cognates in many modern day Bantu languages.
Bambara	fɛn

Ewe	nu

Kinyarwanda	ikintu

Lingala	eloko

Luganda	ekintu

Sepedi	selo

Twi (Akan)	adeɛ

Thing in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabic	شيء
	The Arabic word "شيء" can also refer to a matter, an affair, a business, or an event.
Hebrew	דָבָר
	The word "דָבָר" has another meaning, "plague" or "pestilence", which is related to its root meaning of "to speak" or "to utter".
Pashto	شی
	The word "شی" can also refer to a matter, an object, or a piece of property in Pashto.
Arabic	شيء
	The Arabic word "شيء" can also refer to a matter, an affair, a business, or an event.

Thing in Western European Languages

Albanian	sendi
	The Albanian word "sendi" derives from Proto-Indo-European *ḱʰtóm- "ground, earth".
Basque	gauza
	The Basque word "gauza" can also refer to "matter", "substance", or "affair".
Catalan	cosa
	It derives from the Latin word causa, meaning 'cause', 'motive' or 'reason', from which derives also the English word 'cause'.
Croatian	stvar
	"Stvar" comes from the Old Slavic *stvarъ, which meant "property" but later acquired a broader sense of "thing, object".
Danish	ting
	The Danish word "ting" can also refer to a legislative or judicial assembly, or to a meeting or gathering.
Dutch	ding
	In Dutch, the word "ding" can also refer to a gadget, device, or object, similar to the English "gizmo" or "contraption".
English	thing
	The origin of 'thing' is Proto-Germanic *þeŋgaz, or possibly a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to press' or 'to grasp'
French	chose
	The word "chose" is derived from the Latin word "causa", which means "cause" or "matter". The French word "chose" can therefore have both a concrete meaning ("thing") and an abstract meaning ("cause").
Frisian	ding
	In Frisian, the word "ding" has a dual meaning, referring to both "thing" and "trial."
Galician	cousa
	The Galician word "cousa" is derived from the Latin "causa", meaning "cause, reason, or matter".
German	sache
	The term 'Sache' has a dual origin: the Middle Low German word "sake", which referred to "litigation" and a legal case and the Middle High German term "sahhe", which referred to the subject under discussion and was related to "Sagen" ("to say").
Icelandic	hlutur
	The word "hlutur" can also mean "object" or "matter".
Irish	rud
	In Old Irish, 'rud' could refer to a possession, property, or wealth.
Italian	cosa
	The Italian word "cosa" can also mean "business", "affair", or "matter".
Luxembourgish	saach
	The word "Saach" is derived from the Proto-West Germanic word *saka, meaning "dispute" or "lawsuit".
Maltese	ħaġa
	The Maltese word "ħaġa" can also be used to refer to an object or a concept
Norwegian	ting
	The word "ting" in Norwegian is cognated with the English word "thing", and shares its etymological roots in Old Norse and Proto-Germanic.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)	coisa
	The etymology of "coisa" can be traced back to the Latin "causa," meaning "case," "reason," or "motive."
Scots Gaelic	rud
	The Gaelic word rud means 'thing', but it can also mean 'element' or 'matter'.
Spanish	cosa
	The word "cosa" (thing) derives from the Latin word "causa" (cause or reason), hence its original meaning in Spanish was "reason" or "matter".
Swedish	sak
	The word "sak" can also refer to a legal case or a document.
Welsh	peth
	The word "peth" in Welsh can also refer to a "piece" of something, or a "part" of something.

Thing in Eastern European Languages

Belarusian	рэч
	The word "рэч" can be used figuratively to denote "property" or "affair."
Bosnian	stvar
	"Stvar" can also mean "creation" in Bosnian, derived from its Slavic root word "sŭtvarŭ" which means "to create".
Bulgarian	нещо
	In the Bulgarian word "нещо" there is no prefix. The word "не" usually translates to "not", but here it has a different meaning, it has an indefinite meaning.
Czech	věc
	The etymology of "věc" suggests a connection to the notion of "property" or "affair," indicating its significance beyond mere materiality.
Estonian	asi
	The Estonian word "asi", which means "thing", shares a linguistic origin with the Latin word for "matter" and "stuff" in the form of the Indo-European words "h₂é-so" (meaning, "thing, stuff, substance, material, stuff, it") and "h₃ehs₂-ó-", meaning, "to be".
Finnish	asia
	The word "asia" can also mean "cause" or "matter", and is related to the word "asia" meaning "case" in Estonian and "cause" in Livonian.
Hungarian	dolog
	The word "dolog" derives from the verb "dolokik", meaning to work or to make, and is related to the word "dologidő", which means time spent working.
Latvian	lieta
	The word "lieta" can also mean "case" or "matter" in a legal context.
Lithuanian	dalykas
	The word "dalykas" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *(dʰegʷʰ)- "to put, set", also found in English "thing" and "deed."
Macedonian	ствар
	"The word 'ствар' is derived from the Old Slavic words 'stvoriti' (to create, to make) and 'tvar' (form, appearance)."
Polish	rzecz
	The word "rzecz" can also refer to a "republic" or a "matter" in Polish.
Romanian	lucru
	In Romanian, "lucru" can also refer to a business or a task, stemming from Latin "lucrum" meaning "profit," similar to its English use in "lucrative."
Russian	предмет
	The Russian word "предмет" can also refer to a subject of study or a topic of discussion.
Serbian	ствар
	The word "ствар" can also refer to a lawsuit or a legal dispute.
Slovak	vec
	The word "vec" in Slovak can also refer to a "device" or an "object" of any kind.
Slovenian	stvar
	The Slovenian word "stvar" is a cognate of the Russian word "veshch", meaning "essence" or "material being."
Ukrainian	річ
	In Ukrainian, "річ" can also refer to a possession or property.

Thing in South Asian Languages

Bengali	জিনিস
	The word "জিনিস" can also mean "goods" or "property" in Bengali.
Gujarati	વસ્તુ
	The word "વસ્તુ" means "thing", but it can also mean "substance", "matter", or "object".
Hindi	चीज़
	The Hindi word "चीज़" can also refer to an artifact, item, or substance.
Kannada	ವಿಷಯ
	"ವಿಷಯ" can also mean 'context', 'substance' or 'topic'.
Malayalam	കാര്യം
	The word 'കാര്യം' can also mean 'reason', 'purpose', or 'matter'.
Marathi	गोष्ट
	The word "गोष्ट" can also refer to a story, affair, or a matter, deriving from the Sanskrit word "घोष्टा" meaning "conversation" or "talk."
Nepali	कुरा
	कुरा shares its root word with English
Punjabi	ਚੀਜ਼
	The word "ਚੀਜ਼" (thing) in Punjabi can also refer to "a matter" or "an object of value."
Sinhala (Sinhalese)	දෙයක්
	The word "දෙයක්" (deyek) in Sinhala can also mean "property" or "belonging".
Tamil	விஷயம்
	"விஷயம்" has multiple meanings, including "matter", "topic", "business", "affair", "case", "subject", and "circumstance".
Telugu	విషయం
	In Telugu, "విషయం" ("vishayam") means both "thing" and "subject".
Urdu	چیز
	The Urdu word "چیز" (thing) is derived from the Persian word "چیز" and can also refer to a piece of property or an object used in sorcery.

Thing in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)	事情
	The two characters that compose 事情 (
Chinese (Traditional)	事情
	"事情" (thing) was originally an event, but since anything can become a topic, it is now also "thing".
Japanese	事
	The word "事" (こと) in Japanese can also mean "affair", "matter", "event", or "circumstance".
Korean	맡은 일
	The word "맡은 일" in Korean can also mean "duty" or "responsibility".
Mongolian	зүйл
	The Mongolian word зүйл derives from the Proto-Mongolic word *süyel, meaning "thing, object."
Myanmar (Burmese)	အရာ
	The word "အရာ" is also used to refer to a person or object of uncertain or unspecified nature.

Thing in South East Asian Languages

Indonesian	benda
	Benda, also spelled bendaa, is also a title often given to traditional religious leaders such as dukun or bomoh in certain regions of Indonesia, particularly East Java.
Javanese	bab
	In the Madurese language, "bab" refers to a specific type of woven fabric skirt.
Khmer	រឿង
	In Old Khmer, 'រឿង' also meant 'a type of poem'.
Lao	ສິ່ງ
	The word "thing" can also refer to an action or an event.
Malay	benda
	The word "benda" has many different meanings in Malay, depending on the context. It can mean an "object," a "thing," a "creature," or a "person."
Thai	สิ่ง
	The Thai word "สิ่ง" is cognate with other Kra-Dai languages, and its root meaning is likely "existence", "entity" or "fact"}
Vietnamese	điều
	The word "Điều" can also mean "article", "point" or "condition".
Filipino (Tagalog)	bagay

Thing in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijani	şey
	The Azerbaijani word "şey", besides meaning "thing", can also be used in the sense of "property" or "estate".
Kazakh	нәрсе
	The word 'нәрсе' ('thing' in Kazakh) comes from the Turkic root 'narse', meaning 'substance'.
Kyrgyz	нерсе
	The word "нерсе" can also mean "business" or "affair" in Kyrgyz.
Tajik	чиз
	The word "чиз" can refer to a particular item, a specific instance of something, or an object in general.
Turkmen	zat

Uzbek	narsa
	The word "narsa" also means "what" and "which" and is related to words like "nerse" which means "this".
Uyghur	نەرسە

Thing in Pacific Languages

Hawaiian	mea
	The Hawaiian word "mea" can also refer to a concept, an object, or a matter.
Maori	mea
	The Maori word "mea" is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word "*mea" and has the alternate meaning of "belongings" or "goods".
Samoan	mea
	The word 'mea' in Samoan, besides its literal meaning of 'thing', also carries connotations of personal belongings or possession.
Tagalog (Filipino)	bagay
	Bagay can also refer to an article of clothing, a suit, or an outfit.

Thing in American Indigenous Languages

Aymara	yä

Guarani	mba'e

Thing in International Languages

Esperanto	afero
	The Esperanto word "afero" ultimately derives from the Latin "res" meaning "thing, matter, or affair."
Latin	rem
	The word "rem" also means an "object", or "article", and is related to "res", meaning "affair".

Thing in Others Languages

Greek	πράγμα
	In Greek, "πράγμα" can also refer to a matter, case, or action.
Hmong	khoom
	In Hmong, "khoom" encompasses the concept of "existence," meaning not only inanimate objects but also entities like dreams, ideas, and events.
Kurdish	tişt
	The word "tişt" in Kurdish can also refer to an object, a tool, or a property.
Turkish	şey
	The word 'şey' can also mean 'it' or 'that' and is the origin of 'şöyle' ('like this') and 'öyle' ('like that').
Xhosa	into
	In Nguni languages, the cognate -nto signifies a physical location, or 'interior'. For example, in Swati the word endlini translates to 'in/inside the house'.
Yiddish	זאַך
	זאַך, meaning "a thing" in Yiddish, is derived from the Middle High German "sache", which also means "a thing" and can refer to property or a legal affair
Zulu	into
	The word 'into' derives from the Proto-Bantu *in-tu 'thing'. This is a common Bantu root and so it has cognates in many modern day Bantu languages.
Assamese	বস্তু

Aymara	yä

Bhojpuri	चीज

Dhivehi	އެއްޗެއް

Dogri	चीज

Filipino (Tagalog)	bagay

Guarani	mba'e

Ilocano	banag

Krio	tin

Kurdish (Sorani)	شت

Maithili	चीज

Meiteilon (Manipuri)	ꯄꯣꯠꯁꯛ

Mizo	thil

Oromo	wanta

Odia (Oriya)	ଜିନିଷ

Quechua	ima

Sanskrit	वस्तु

Tatar	нәрсә

Tigrinya	ነገር

Tsonga	xilo

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Thing in Different Languages

Discover 'Thing' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Thing

Thing in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Thing in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Thing in Western European Languages

Thing in Eastern European Languages

Thing in South Asian Languages

Thing in East Asian Languages

Thing in South East Asian Languages

Thing in Central Asian Languages

Thing in Pacific Languages

Thing in American Indigenous Languages

Thing in International Languages

Thing in Others Languages

Popular searches

Click on a letter to browse words starting with that letter

Weekly Tip

Immerse Yourself in the World of Languages

How to use our multi-language translation tool

Start with a word

Auto-complete to the rescue

See and hear translations

Grab the translations

Explore More Apps You'll Love

Features overview

Instant translations with audio where available

Quick find with auto-complete

Translations in 104 Languages, no selection needed

Downloadable translations in JSON

All free, All for you

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you provide translations and audio?

Can I download these translations?

What if I can't find my word?

Is there a fee to use your site?