มณฑล
province
Native recording
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- 1 province、administrative region、district
A formal term for a large, clearly defined administrative or institutional region, especially a province of China or a military or historical district.
province、administrative region、district
A large territorial division defined for administrative, military, or similar official purposes.
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มณฑลยูนนานอยู่ทางตะวันตกเฉียงใต้ของจีน monthon yuunnaan yùu thaaŋ tawan tòk chǐaŋ tâay khɔ̌ɔŋ ciin Yunnan Province is in southwestern China. มณฑลยูนนานอยู่ทางตะวันตกเฉียงใต้ของจีน details
Learning notes
Explanation
มณฑล is a formal word for a broad territory treated as one defined unit. In current usage, it is especially common in names of Chinese provinces, such as มณฑลยูนนาน, “Yunnan Province.” In Thai history, it also referred to a former administrative unit that grouped several cities or provinces together. The word remains in official compounds such as มณฑลทหารบก, “army area” or “military district.” It can historically mean a circle or sphere, but that sense is uncommon as a standalone word in everyday modern Thai. For practical purposes, learners should associate it mainly with a large officially defined region.
Usage
It commonly appears in news and textbooks about Chinese geography, discussions of Thai administrative history, and official military or ceremonial names. It is much more common in formal writing than in everyday conversation.
Caution
Do not normally use มณฑล for a present-day Thai province; the standard word is จังหวัด. For an ordinary area or neighborhood, words such as พื้นที่, บริเวณ, or แถวนี้ are more natural.
Differences from similar words
1 province synonyms
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จังหวัด is the standard term for a present-day Thai province. มณฑล is used for larger divisions such as Chinese provinces and historical administrative regions in Thailand.
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เขต is a broad, common word for a district, zone, or jurisdiction. มณฑล is more formal and typically refers to a larger officially defined region.