ภาวะ
state
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- 1 state、condition
This word describes the state or condition of a person, body, society, economy, or other entity, especially in objective, formal, or technical contexts.
state、condition
It refers to a particular state or condition, usually followed by a word or phrase identifying what that condition is.
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ผู้ป่วยอยู่ในภาวะวิกฤต phûu pùay yùu nay phaawá wíkrìt The patient is in critical condition. ผู้ป่วยอยู่ในภาวะวิกฤต details
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รัฐบาลประกาศภาวะฉุกเฉิน rátthabaan prakàat phaawá chùkchə̌ən The government declared a state of emergency. รัฐบาลประกาศภาวะฉุกเฉิน details
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ภาวะเศรษฐกิจเริ่มดีขึ้น phaawá sèetthakìt rə̂əm dii khʉ̂n Economic conditions have begun to improve. ภาวะเศรษฐกิจเริ่มดีขึ้น details
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เขามีภาวะซึมเศร้า khǎw mii phaawá sʉm sâw He has depression. เขามีภาวะซึมเศร้า details
Learning notes
Explanation
ภาวะ describes a condition identified by a particular characteristic rather than a passing, everyday appearance. It has a somewhat formal and abstract tone and is especially common in medicine, psychology, economics, public affairs, and administration. It frequently appears before a word specifying the condition, as in ภาวะฉุกเฉิน “state of emergency,” ภาวะวิกฤต “critical condition,” and ภาวะเงินเฟ้อ “inflation.” Common patterns include อยู่ในภาวะ〜 “be in a state of…,” เข้าสู่ภาวะ〜 “enter a state of…,” เกิดภาวะ〜 “a condition occurs,” and มีภาวะ〜 “have a condition or disorder.” In ภาวะผู้นำ, the idea is the qualities or capacity associated with being a leader, giving the compound the meaning “leadership.” It is best learned as a fixed compound.
Usage
It is common in news reports about economic or social conditions, medical discussions of physical or mental health, and official descriptions of emergencies. It also occurs in everyday conversation as part of established medical terms and familiar compounds.
Caution
ภาวะ can sound too formal for casually asking how someone or something is doing. Use สภาพ for an observable condition, อาการ for symptoms, and สถานการณ์ for a developing situation. Older sources may also give meanings related to “existence” or “being,” but modern learners can generally focus on the common sense “state or condition.”
Differences from similar words
1 state synonyms
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สถานการณ์ refers to a developing situation or set of circumstances. ภาวะ focuses more on the state or condition that exists at a given time.
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สภาพ commonly refers to the observable condition or appearance of a person or thing. ภาวะ is more abstract and is often used to classify or discuss medical, economic, or social conditions.
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สภาวะ also means a state or condition and is very close to ภาวะ. It can sound even more formal or abstract, while ภาวะ occurs in a wider range of common compounds.