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Thai

งาน

Pronunciation

ŋaan

งาน

ŋaan

work

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  1. 1 work、job、employment、duties
  2. 2 task、assignment、piece of work、errand
  3. 3 event、ceremony、party、celebration、fair
  4. 4 work、piece、created work、result
  5. 5 ngan [Thai land-area unit, 400 m²]

งาน is a very common noun centered on things people do or organize. Depending on context, it can mean work, a task, an assignment, an event or ceremony, a created work, or a Thai unit of land area.

1

work、job、employment、duties

Noun⭐️5 Essential

This sense refers to work as employment, a job, or duties done in a workplace.

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2

task、assignment、piece of work、errand

Noun⭐️4 Often used

This sense covers things that need to be done, such as tasks, assignments, chores, or pieces of work.

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3

event、ceremony、party、celebration、fair

Noun⭐️4 Often used

This sense refers to an organized event or gathering, such as a ceremony, party, celebration, fair, or funeral.

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4

work、piece、created work、result

Noun⭐️3 Common

This sense refers to the product or result of someone’s effort, especially creative, written, academic, or design work.

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Learning notes

Explanation

งาน is a very broad and very common noun. Its core idea is something people do, which extends to work, duties, tasks, assignments, responsibilities, and the product of work. It is also commonly used for organized gatherings, such as ceremonies, parties, fairs, and funerals. To say “to work,” Thai normally uses ทำงาน, not งาน alone. มีงาน can mean “have work,” “have something to do,” or “there is an event,” depending on context. When needed, Thai makes it specific with expressions like งานอะไร, งานที่บริษัท, or งานแต่งงาน.

Usage

You will hear and see งาน in workplaces, schools, home life, schedule talk, event announcements, and real-estate contexts. Common everyday patterns include ทำงาน “to work,” มีงานเยอะ “to have a lot of work,” ส่งงาน “to submit an assignment,” and ไปงานแต่งงาน “to go to a wedding.”

Caution

By itself, งาน can be vague: it may mean work, a task, an assignment, or an event depending on context. The land-measurement use is a separate real-estate context, so do not confuse it with the everyday meaning “work.”

Differences from similar words

1 work synonyms

  • การงาน refers to work or affairs in a more general, somewhat fuller expression. งาน is shorter and more common in everyday speech.

  • อาชีพ means an occupation or profession, such as doctor or teacher. งาน is broader and can refer to the work or duties themselves, not just the profession.

2 task synonyms

  • การบ้าน specifically means homework. งาน can also mean a school assignment, but it is much broader and can refer to work tasks or practical things to do.

  • เรื่อง means a matter, issue, or topic. งาน is more specifically something to be done or produced.

3 event synonyms

4 work synonyms

  • ชิ้นงาน strongly suggests one concrete piece of work or workpiece. งาน can refer more broadly to the work, project, or creative output.

  • ผลงาน emphasizes an achievement, output, or body of work that can be evaluated. งาน can simply refer to a created piece or result of work.

5 ngan [Thai land-area unit, 400 m²] synonyms

  • ตารางวา is a smaller Thai land-area unit. 100 ตารางวา equals 1 งาน.

  • ไร่ is also a Thai land-area unit. One ไร่ equals four งาน, or 1,600 square meters; งาน is one quarter of that.

Component words

Other words containing งาน

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