department
department — 名詞
1. Any of the separate parts of a company, college, or government that deal with a
部門
學校、企業或政府中負責特定事務的單位
Any of the separate parts of a company, college, or government that deal with a particular activity or subject.
The history department at City University hired a new professor from Kyoto.
市立大學的歷史部門從京都聘請了一位新教授。
common pattern: [subject] + department
Manuela works in the sales department of a large electronics company.
Manuela 在一家大型電子公司的銷售部門工作。
common pattern: [function] + department
Each government department is responsible for a different policy area such as health or education.
每個政府部門都負責一個不同的政策領域，例如衛生或教育。
The accounting department sends out invoices on the first day of each month.
會計部門在每個月的第一天寄出帳單。
After the merger, the company created a new department to handle overseas clients.
合併之後，該公司成立了一個新部門來處理海外客戶。
- division
Often larger or more formal than a department; used in military and corporate contexts
- unit
Smaller and more operational than a department; can refer to a team within a department
- section
A part of a department; more specific and usually smaller in scope
- branch
Suggests a physical location or regional office rather than a functional division
文法句型
department + of + [area/subject]
[area/subject] + department
常見錯誤
2. One of the official areas that France and some other countries are divided into
省；行政區
法國等國家的地方行政劃分區域
One of the official areas that France and some other countries are divided into for local government and administration.
The Lakan family moved to the department of Vaucluse in southern France.
Lakan 一家搬到法國南部的沃克呂茲省。
collocation: department of [place name]
Every French department elects its own council to manage local services.
每個法國省份都選出自己的議會來管理地方服務。
The department of Gironde produces some of the finest wines in the world.
吉倫特省出產世界上一些最優質的葡萄酒。
Jabari cycled through six departments during his summer holiday in France.
Jabari 在法國度假期間騎自行車穿越了六個省份。
- province
A larger administrative area used in many countries; broader than a French département
- region
In France, a région is a level above département — several departments make up a region
- administrative area
A general term for any territorial division with its own government
文法句型
the department of + [place name]
[place name] department
用法筆記
A French département is larger than a city but smaller than a région. Mainland France has 96 departments, and overseas territories add 5 more, making 101 in total. The word is capitalised when used as part of a proper name ('the Department of Gironde').
常見錯誤
3. A particular area of knowledge, responsibility, or activity that a specific pers
職責範圍
某人負責或擅長的特定領域
A particular area of knowledge, responsibility, or activity that a specific person handles or knows well.
Tax questions are not really my department — please speak to our accountant.
稅務問題真的不是我的職責範圍——請諮詢我們的會計師。
expression: not my department
Product design is Femi's department, so he makes the final call on all new models.
產品設計是 Femi 的職責範圍，所以他對所有新型號擁有最終決定權。
pattern: possessive + department
Dealing with noise complaints is the building manager's department, not the landlord's.
處理噪音投訴是大樓管理員的職責範圍，不是房東的。
Organizing the office party is your department this year since you offered to handle it.
籌辦辦公室派對今年是你的職責範圍，因為你主動提出要處理這件事。
- domain
More formal and broader; suggests an area of knowledge or activity one controls
- field
Neutral and widely used; emphasises a subject area rather than responsibility
- responsibility
Direct and clear; focuses on duty rather than expertise
- province
Formal, slightly old-fashioned; similar meaning to 'department' in this sense
文法句型
possessive + department
not [possessive] + department
用法筆記
Frequently used in possessive or negative constructions ('not my department', 'somebody's department') to clarify who is responsible for what. The sense is always singular and typically informal.
常見錯誤
4. One specific feature or trait of something, used especially in informal comparis
方面；層面
用於比較或評論時限定的特定面向
One specific feature or trait of something, used especially in informal comparisons or judgements to limit the focus to one area.
The film was quite enjoyable, at least in the entertainment department it delivered well.
這部電影還蠻好看的，至少在娛樂方面表現得不錯。
expression: in the ___ department
His cooking is excellent in the taste department but could use some work on presentation.
他的料理在味道方面很棒，但在擺盤上還需要再加強。
The apartment is lacking in the space department, though the location is hard to beat.
這間公寓在空間方面比較不足，不過地點很難比得上。
In the reliability department, this old car has never once let us down.
在可靠性方面，這輛老車從來沒有讓我們失望過。
文法句型
in the + [quality] + department
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in the fixed phrase 'in the [abstract noun] department', where the noun is a quality like taste, space, reliability, or entertainment. Always informal and slightly humorous or light-hearted.