A prefecture is a large area of a country that has its own local government — not the national government in the capital, but a government for that area.

A prefecturePrefecture是一個國家裡 is a large area of a country that has its own local government擁有自己地方政府的一大塊區域 — not the national government in the capital不是首都的中央政府, but a government for that area而是專屬那個地區的政府

You meet the word most often with Japan, which is divided into 47 prefectures. English uses this one word for all of them, though actually Japanese does not: 都, 道, 府 and 県 are different kinds of place, and a 県 is not quite the same as a 府.

You meet the word most often with Japan你最常在講日本的時候遇到這個詞, which is divided into 47 prefectures日本分成47個prefecture(都道府縣) English uses this one word for all of them英文全部都用同一個詞, though actually Japanese does not不過日文其實不是這樣: 都, 道, 府 and 県都、道、府、県 are different kinds of place是不同種類的行政區, and而且 a 県 is not quite the same as a 府県跟府也不完全一樣

France has prefectures too: there the word can mean the area, or the office of the préfet, the official who represents the state.

FranceFrance(法國) has prefectures too也有prefecture: there在那裡 the word can mean the area這個詞可以指那個地區, or the office of the préfet或是préfet(省長)的辦公室, the official who represents the state也就是代表中央政府的官員

In older writing about China, 府 (and sometimes 郡, 縣 or 州) is also called a prefecture.

In older writing about China在講中國的舊時文獻裡, 府 (and sometimes 郡, 縣 or 州)府(有時候是郡、縣或州) is also called a prefecture也會被稱為prefecture

It is a map-and-government word, a little formal. People do not use it for a neighbourhood, a school district, or Taiwan’s own 縣 — those 縣 are counties in English, even though the character matches Japan’s 県. The English label is a habit of translation, not a universal type of place.

It is a map-and-government word這是個跟地圖、政府有關的詞, a little formal語氣有點正式 People do not use it人們不會用它 for a neighbourhood, a school district來指鄰里或學區, or Taiwan's own 縣或台灣自己的「縣」 — those 縣 are counties in English這些縣英文是county, even though the character matches Japan's 県雖然這個字跟日本的県字一樣 The English label這個英文說法 is a habit of translation只是翻譯上的習慣, not a universal type of place不是放諸四海皆準的行政區類型