หมู่บ้าน
mùu-bâan/muː˨˩.baːn˥˩/
The English word "village" is translated into Thai as หมู่บ้าน (mùu-bâan).
หมู่บ้าน refers to a rural habitation that is larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town. While the word บ้าน can be used on its own to mean either a single house or a village depending on the context, หมู่บ้าน is the specific term for a village.
Meaning: a rural habitation of size between a hamlet and a town (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The component บ้าน can mean a single house or a village depending on the context.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is mùu-bâan. It has two syllables: /muː˨˩.baːn˥˩/.
Did you know?
- A Thai speaker might use the word บ้าน to refer to a whole country or a large organization to imply it is their 'home base'.
- While หมู่บ้าน is the general term, a traditional rural village is often conceptually linked to วัด meaning 'temple', as the temple usually serves as the village center.
- The word หมู่ in หมู่บ้าน is also used to describe a troop of soldiers or a flock of animals, emphasizing the collective nature of the group.
Examples in context
- ฉันไปถึงหมู่บ้านก่อนมืดI reached the village before dark.This sentence shows how to use หมู่บ้าน when describing arriving at a destination.Tatoeba #8817711 by pastelite, translation #28443 by CM
- ไม่, บ้านในหมู่บ้านของฉันไม่ได้สูง แต่สวนใหญ่No, the houses in my village aren't tall, but the gardens are big.This sentence uses หมู่บ้าน to describe the characteristics of homes within a community.Tatoeba #6633693 by kanacan, translation #6192324 by sundown
- หมู่บ้านนี้เงียบสงบมากตอนกลางคืนmuu-baan nii ngiap-sa-ngop maak dtaan glaang-khuenThis village is very peaceful at night.
Example conversation
Teerapat and Pimol are talking about where Pimol grew up.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatคุณเกิดที่ไหนครับkhun goet thee nai khrapWhere were you born?
- พิมล Pimonฉันเกิดในหมู่บ้านเล็กๆ ค่ะchan goet nai muu-baan lek-lek khaI was born in a small village.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatหมู่บ้านของคุณสวยไหมครับmuu-baan khong khun suay mai khrapIs your village beautiful?
- พิมล Pimonใช่ค่ะ สวยและร่มรื่นมากchai kha, suay lae rom-ruen maakYes, it is very beautiful and shady.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “village” translations and entries หมู่บ้าน, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
