Main Translations

English: Alcoholic

Thai: คนติดสุรา

Phonetic: Kon tid su-ra (pronounced with a rising tone on "tid" and a mid tone on "su-ra").

Detailed Explanation: The term "alcoholic" as a noun refers to a person who has a physical or psychological dependence on alcohol, often leading to harmful effects on health, relationships, and daily life. In Thai culture, "คนติดสุรา" carries a somewhat negative connotation, implying addiction and social stigma. It is commonly used in medical, psychological, or everyday contexts to discuss substance abuse. For instance, it might appear in health campaigns or personal stories, emphasizing emotional struggles like guilt, denial, or recovery. Semantic nuances include its empathetic use in support groups versus judgmental tones in casual conversations.

Thai: เกี่ยวกับสุรา

Phonetic: Gap-paan su-ra (pronounced with a mid tone on "gap-paan" and a falling tone on "su-ra").

Detailed Explanation: As an adjective, "alcoholic" means related to or containing alcohol, such as beverages or substances. In Thai, "เกี่ยวกับสุรา" is a neutral translation used in formal or educational settings, like describing drinks or chemical properties. It lacks the emotional weight of addiction but can imply health risks in cultural contexts, such as warnings about overconsumption during festivals. Usage scenarios include product labeling or health discussions, with nuances varying by context—e.g., informative in scientific talks versus cautionary in public health campaigns.

Overview of Usage Scenarios

The word "alcoholic" is versatile, functioning as both a noun (referring to a person with alcohol dependency) and an adjective (describing something containing or related to alcohol). Main usage scenarios include health and medical discussions (e.g., addiction recovery), social settings (e.g., parties or warnings), business contexts (e.g., beverage industry), and everyday conversations. In Thai culture, it often appears in contexts influenced by social norms around drinking, such as during holidays like Songkran, where alcohol consumption is common but can lead to discussions about excess. This word highlights emotional connotations like empathy, stigma, or neutrality, depending on the scenario.

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

Business Scenario

English: The company is launching a new line of non-alcoholic beverages to cater to health-conscious consumers.

Thai: บริษัทกำลังเปิดตัวเครื่องดื่มที่ไม่เกี่ยวกับสุราเพื่อตอบสนองผู้บริโภคที่ใส่ใจสุขภาพ.

Grammatical Breakdown: "The company" (subject, noun phrase) + "is launching" (present continuous verb) + "a new line of non-alcoholic beverages" (object, adjective modifying noun) + "to cater to" (infinitive phrase indicating purpose) + "health-conscious consumers" (object complement, adjective-noun phrase).

Structural Analysis: This sentence follows a subject-verb-object structure with a purpose clause, common in business English for announcements. In Thai, it uses a similar structure but with post-nominal modifiers, making it formal and professional.

Leisure Scenario

English: During the party, he admitted he was an alcoholic and decided to seek help.

Thai: ระหว่างงานปาร์ตี้ เขายอมรับว่าเขาเป็นคนติดสุราและตัดสินใจหาความช่วยเหลือ.

Grammatical Breakdown: "During the party" (prepositional phrase) + "he admitted" (subject-verb) + "he was an alcoholic" (object clause) + "and decided" (coordinating conjunction + verb) + "to seek help" (infinitive phrase).

Structural Analysis: The sentence uses a compound structure with clauses connected by "and," building emotional depth. In Thai, the verb "ยอมรับ" (admitted) adds a confessional tone, reflecting cultural sensitivity around personal issues.

Formal Occasion

English: In his speech, the doctor warned about the dangers of alcoholic drinks for liver health.

Thai: ในสุนทรพจน์ของเขา แพทย์เตือนเกี่ยวกับอันตรายของเครื่องดื่มที่มีสุรากับสุขภาพตับ.

Grammatical Breakdown: "In his speech" (prepositional phrase) + "the doctor warned" (subject-verb) + "about the dangers" (prepositional object) + "of alcoholic drinks" (adjective-noun phrase) + "for liver health" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: This declarative sentence employs a formal tone with embedded phrases for clarity. Thai translation maintains formality through polite language, emphasizing public health education.

Informal Occasion

English: She's trying to quit being an alcoholic, but it's tough with all the stress at work.

Thai: เธอกำลังพยายามเลิกเป็นคนติดสุรา แต่มันยากเพราะความเครียดที่ทำงาน.

Grammatical Breakdown: "She's trying" (subject-verb contraction) + "to quit being an alcoholic" (infinitive phrase) + "but it's tough" (coordinating conjunction + subject-verb) + "with all the stress at work" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: The sentence contrasts ideas with "but," creating an informal, conversational flow. In Thai, casual connectors like "แต่" enhance relatability in everyday dialogues.

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

Declarative Sentence

English: Many people struggle with being an alcoholic in silence.

Thai: คนจำนวนมากต่อสู้กับการเป็นคนติดสุราโดยไม่พูดออกมา.

Grammatical Breakdown: "Many people" (subject) + "struggle with" (verb phrase) + "being an alcoholic" (gerund phrase) + "in silence" (adverbial phrase).

Structural Analysis: A straightforward declarative form states a fact, suitable for essays. Thai structure uses nominalization for emphasis on the action.

Interrogative Sentence

English: Are you aware of the risks associated with alcoholic beverages?

Thai: คุณทราบถึงความเสี่ยงที่เกี่ยวข้องกับเครื่องดื่มที่มีสุราไหม?

Grammatical Breakdown: "Are you aware" (auxiliary verb + subject + verb) + "of the risks" (prepositional phrase) + "associated with alcoholic beverages" (participial phrase).

Structural Analysis: This yes/no question inverts subject-verb order for inquiry. Thai uses a tag question ("ไหม") to soften the tone, common in polite conversations.

Imperative Sentence

English: Avoid alcoholic drinks if you're driving tonight.

Thai: หลีกเลี่ยงเครื่องดื่มที่มีสุรา ถ้าคุณขับรถคืนนี้.

Grammatical Breakdown: "Avoid" (imperative verb) + "alcoholic drinks" (direct object) + "if you're driving tonight" (conditional clause).

Structural Analysis: Commands like this use the base verb form for directness. Thai adds a conditional clause for context, aligning with cultural emphasis on safety.

Exclamatory Sentence

English: What a challenge it is to recover from being an alcoholic!

Thai: นี่มันท้าทายแค่ไหนในการฟื้นตัวจากคนติดสุรา!

Grammatical Breakdown: "What a challenge" (exclamation starter) + "it is" (subject-verb) + "to recover from being an alcoholic" (infinitive phrase).

Structural Analysis: Exclamatory sentences express strong emotion via inversion. Thai uses intensifiers like "แค่ไหน" to amplify the sentiment.

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

Simple Sentence

English: He is an alcoholic.

Thai: เขาเป็นคนติดสุรา.

Grammatical Breakdown: "He" (subject) + "is" (verb) + "an alcoholic" (predicate nominative).

Structural Analysis: Basic subject-verb-complement structure for beginners. Thai mirrors this simplicity for easy learning.

Intermediate Sentence

English: Being an alcoholic can affect your family life significantly.

Thai: การเป็นคนติดสุรา สามารถส่งผลกระทบต่อชีวิตครอบครัวอย่างมาก.

Grammatical Breakdown: "Being an alcoholic" (gerund subject) + "can affect" (modal verb + verb) + "your family life significantly" (object + adverb).

Structural Analysis: Introduces modal verbs and adverbs, adding depth. Thai uses nominalization for a formal intermediate level.

Complex Sentence

English: Although she tried to hide her identity as an alcoholic, her friends eventually noticed the signs and offered support.

Thai: แม้ว่าเธอจะพยายามปกปิดตัวตนในฐานะคนติดสุรา เพื่อนๆ ของเธอก็สังเกตเห็นสัญญาณและให้ความช่วยเหลือในที่สุด.

Grammatical Breakdown: "Although she tried" (subordinate clause) + "to hide her identity" (infinitive phrase) + "as an alcoholic" (prepositional phrase) + "her friends eventually noticed" (main clause) + "the signs and offered support" (object and verb).

Structural Analysis: Multiple clauses create complexity, ideal for advanced users. Thai employs conjunctions for smooth flow, reflecting narrative style.

Related Phrases and Expressions

Synonyms/Near Synonyms:

• Alcohol-dependent – Used interchangeably with "alcoholic" to describe addiction, often in medical contexts for a more clinical tone.
• Drink addict – A casual synonym emphasizing habitual abuse, common in informal discussions about substance issues.

Antonyms:

• Sober individual – Refers to someone who abstains from alcohol, contrasting the dependency implied by "alcoholic" in recovery contexts.
• Teetotaler – Describes a person who completely avoids alcohol, highlighting a lifestyle choice opposite to alcohol-related habits.

Common Collocations:

• Alcoholic beverage – Refers to drinks containing alcohol, used in legal or commercial settings; e.g., "The bar serves various alcoholic beverages."
• Recovering alcoholic – Describes someone in the process of overcoming addiction, often in support group contexts; e.g., "He shared his story as a recovering alcoholic."

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

Cultural Background:

• Cultural Point 1: In Thai culture, alcohol consumption is tied to social events like festivals (e.g., Songkran or Loi Krathong), where "alcoholic" might reference both beverages and individuals. However, there's a strong Buddhist influence promoting moderation, leading to stigma around "คนติดสุรา," often viewed as a moral or family issue rather than just a health one.

Usage Habits:

• Habit 1: The word is frequently used in urban areas among younger demographics for health awareness, but less openly in rural settings due to taboo. It's popular in media campaigns against drunk driving, with high frequency in online forums and rehab discussions.

Grammar Explanation

Grammatical Function: "Alcoholic" can function as a noun (e.g., subject or object: "The alcoholic sought help") or an adjective (e.g., modifier: "alcoholic drinks"). As a noun, it typically acts as a predicate nominative; as an adjective, it describes nouns.

Tense and Voice: The word itself doesn't change tenses, but it's used in various verb forms. For example, in active voice: "He became an alcoholic" (past tense). In passive voice: "Alcoholism was identified in the patient" (focusing on the condition). Tenses adapt based on context, like present for ongoing issues or future for prevention.

References

Etymology and History:

The word "alcoholic" derives from the Arabic "al-kohl" (meaning a fine powder, later extended to spirits) via Medieval Latin "alcohol." It entered English in the 18th century, initially referring to substances, and by the 19th century, it described addiction. In Thai, "สุรา" comes from Sanskrit "sura," meaning divine drink, evolving to include modern connotations of alcohol dependency.

Literary References:

• From F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby": "He was an alcoholic, drowning in his own excesses," highlighting the tragic aspects of addiction. Source: Fitzgerald, F. S. (1925). The Great Gatsby.
• In Thai literature, from "Khon Diew" by Saneh Sangsuk: "คนติดสุราในชนบทมักถูกมองข้าม" (Trans: "An alcoholic in the countryside is often overlooked"), reflecting social neglect. Source: Sangsuk, S. (1986). Khon Diew.