กิจ
duty
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- 1 duty、task、affair
This word refers to something that needs to be done, such as a duty, task, or affair. It occurs much more often as part of a compound than as a standalone word.
duty、task、affair
Something to be carried out for a purpose or as part of one’s responsibilities, such as a task, duty, or affair.
Learning notes
Explanation
กิจ is a noun of Pali origin whose central idea is “something that is to be done.” In modern Thai, it is encountered most often inside compounds such as กิจกรรม “activity or event,” กิจการ “business or operations,” and ภารกิจ “mission or assignment.” Its use as a freely occurring standalone noun is comparatively limited. It can occur independently in expressions such as มีกิจ, meaning to have a duty or matter to attend to, and ติดกิจ, meaning to be unavailable because of another commitment. These expressions have a somewhat formal tone.
Usage
It is widely used in compounds relating to organizational activities, business operations, and assigned missions. As a standalone noun, it is most likely to appear in concise, somewhat formal statements about duties or prior commitments and in written notices.
Caution
For an ordinary personal errand, ธุระ is generally more natural than กิจ. Do not use กิจ as a general-purpose word for any “thing” or “matter.” Since its meaning becomes more specific in compounds, learning the common compounds as complete words is the most practical approach.
Differences from similar words
1 duty synonyms
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งาน is the general everyday word for work, a job, or a particular task. กิจ emphasizes something to be carried out and appears especially often as an element of compounds.
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ธุระ is the usual word for an everyday errand or personal matter. กิจ sounds more formal and is used especially in compounds and established expressions.