Brunei
Brunei — noun
1. a small country on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, with a population of
a small country on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, with a population of under half a million people and an economy based largely on oil and natural gas.
Rachid's cousin moved to Brunei last year for a job at an oil company.
proper noun as subject of sentence
Brunei shares the island of Borneo with Malaysia and Indonesia.
collocation: shares [land feature] with [neighbours]
Saira read about Brunei in her geography textbook and wanted to visit.
The rainforest in Brunei covers more than half of the country.
用法筆記
Brunei is a proper noun and is always written with a capital letter. It does not take an article (the Brunei) in most contexts, except in phrases like the country of Brunei or the nation of Brunei.
常見錯誤
2. an independent sultanate on the northwestern coast of Borneo, ruled by a sultan,
an independent sultanate on the northwestern coast of Borneo, ruled by a sultan, which was a British protectorate until it gained full independence in 1984. Its capital is Bandar Seri Begawan.
Brunei became a fully independent sultanate in 1984, ending its time as a British protectorate.
historical context: independent sultanate
The capital of Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan, is known for its large golden mosque.
Eli learned that the Sultan of Brunei has ruled for many decades.
Brunei's official name is Brunei Darussalam, which means 'Abode of Peace'.
用法筆記
This sense is used in historical, political, or geographical writing where the country's status as a sultanate or its colonial history is relevant. In everyday conversation about travel or general facts, Sense 1 is more common.