Main Translations

English: Ambition

Thai: ความทะเยอทะยาน (kwām tā-yĕu tā-yān)

Phonetic: Kwām tā-yĕu tā-yān (pronounced with a rising tone on "tā" and emphasis on the aspiration aspect)

Detailed Explanation: In English, "ambition" refers to a strong desire to achieve success, power, or wealth, often involving determination and goal-oriented behavior. It carries positive emotional connotations in motivational contexts but can imply negative nuances like ruthlessness in competitive scenarios. Usage scenarios include personal development (e.g., career goals), business settings (e.g., climbing the corporate ladder), and everyday motivation. In Thai culture, "ความทะเยอทะยาน" emphasizes a similar drive but is often tempered by societal values of humility and collectivism, making it more balanced in hierarchical or family-oriented contexts.

Thai: ความมุ่งมั่น (kwām mung-man)

Phonetic: Kwām mung-man (pronounced with a mid-tone on "mung" and a falling tone on "man")

Detailed Explanation: As a secondary translation, "ความมุ่งมั่น" conveys a sense of determination or focused ambition, often with less intensity than "ความทะเยอทะยาน." It highlights emotional connotations of persistence and dedication rather than overt desire for status. Semantic nuances include its use in educational or personal growth scenarios, where Thai speakers might employ it to describe steady effort without the potential greed associated with ambition. This word is common in motivational speeches or self-help contexts in Thailand, aligning with cultural emphasis on hard work over flamboyant goals.

Overview of Usage Scenarios

"Ambition" is a versatile noun primarily used to describe internal drives for achievement. Its main usage scenarios include professional environments (e.g., business and career advancement), personal development (e.g., leisure and self-improvement), and social interactions (e.g., formal or informal settings). In Thai, translations like "ความทะเยอทะยาน" are often applied in contexts where individual goals intersect with communal harmony, reflecting cultural nuances. This word frequently appears in discussions about "ambition meaning" and motivation, making it a key term in self-help, education, and leadership content.

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

Business Scenario

English: Her ambition to lead the company pushed her to work late nights and innovate new strategies.

Thai: ความทะเยอทะยานของเธอที่จะนำบริษัทผลักดันให้เธอทำงานดึกและคิดกลยุทธ์ใหม่ๆ

Grammatical Breakdown: "Her ambition" (possessive pronoun + noun) acts as the subject; "to lead the company" is an infinitive phrase modifying "ambition"; "pushed her" is the main verb phrase; "to work late nights and innovate new strategies" are infinitive complements.

Structural Analysis: This is a complex sentence with a subject-verb-object structure, emphasizing cause and effect. The word "ambition" functions as a motivator, common in business contexts for SEO topics like "ambition in career growth."

Leisure Scenario

English: His ambition for traveling the world inspired him to save money and plan adventurous trips.

Thai: ความทะเยอทะยานของเขาสำหรับการท่องเที่ยวทั่วโลกกระตุ้นให้เขาประหยัดเงินและวางแผนทริปผจญภัย

Grammatical Breakdown: "His ambition" (possessive + noun) is the subject; "for traveling the world" is a prepositional phrase; "inspired him" is the verb phrase; "to save money and plan adventurous trips" are infinitive phrases as objects.

Structural Analysis: The sentence uses a compound structure to show progression, highlighting how ambition drives personal hobbies. This aligns with "ambition meaning" in recreational contexts.

Formal Occasion

English: In his graduation speech, the valedictorian spoke about the role of ambition in shaping future leaders.

Thai: ในสุนทรพจน์จบการศึกษาของเขา นักเรียนดีเด่นพูดถึงบทบาทของความทะเยอทะยานในการหล่อหลอมผู้นำในอนาคต

Grammatical Breakdown: "In his graduation speech" is a prepositional phrase; "the valedictorian" is the subject; "spoke about" is the verb phrase; "the role of ambition" is the object with a prepositional modifier.

Structural Analysis: This declarative sentence builds formality through subordination, ideal for educational or ceremonial uses of "ambition in Thai" translations.

Informal Occasion

English: We were chatting about our ambitions over coffee, and mine is to start a small business someday.

Thai: เราคุยกันเรื่องความทะเยอทะยานของเรากับกาแฟ และของฉันคือการเริ่มธุรกิจเล็กๆ สักวันหนึ่ง

Grammatical Breakdown: "We were chatting" is the main clause; "about our ambitions" is a prepositional phrase; "over coffee" is another prepositional phrase; "and mine is" introduces a coordinate clause.

Structural Analysis: The sentence is conversational, using coordination for casual flow, which reflects everyday "ambition meaning" in social settings.

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

Declarative Sentence

English: Ambition is the key to success in any field.

Thai: ความทะเยอทะยานเป็นกุญแจสู่ความสำเร็จในทุกสาขา

Grammatical Breakdown: "Ambition" is the subject; "is" is the linking verb; "the key to success" is the predicate nominative.

Structural Analysis: A simple declarative structure states a fact, commonly used in motivational content for "ambition in Thai."

Interrogative Sentence

English: What role does ambition play in your daily life?

Thai: ความทะเยอทะยานมีบทบาทอะไรในชีวิตประจำวันของคุณ?

Grammatical Breakdown: "What role" is the interrogative phrase; "does ambition play" is the verb phrase; "in your daily life" is a prepositional phrase.

Structural Analysis: This question inverts subject-verb order for inquiry, encouraging reflection on "ambition meaning."

Imperative Sentence

English: Pursue your ambitions with passion and perseverance.

Thai: ไล่ตามความทะเยอทะยานของคุณด้วยความหลงใหลและความอดทน

Grammatical Breakdown: "Pursue" is the imperative verb; "your ambitions" is the direct object; "with passion and perseverance" is a prepositional phrase.

Structural Analysis: Commands like this motivate action, aligning with advice on "ambition in career."

Exclamatory Sentence

English: What incredible ambition you have to climb Mount Everest!

Thai: ความทะเยอทะยานที่น่าอัศจรรย์ของคุณที่จะปีนเขาเอเวอเรสต์!

Grammatical Breakdown: "What incredible ambition" is the exclamatory phrase; "you have" is the verb phrase; "to climb Mount Everest" is an infinitive phrase.

Structural Analysis: Exclamation emphasizes emotion, making it vivid for topics like "examples of ambition in sentences."

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

Simple Sentence

English: Ambition motivates people.

Thai: ความทะเยอทะยานจุดประกายผู้คน

Grammatical Breakdown: "Ambition" is the subject; "motivates" is the verb; "people" is the object.

Structural Analysis: Basic subject-verb-object structure, ideal for beginners learning "ambition meaning."

Intermediate Sentence

English: Without ambition, achieving goals becomes much harder.

Thai: โดยปราศจากความทะเยอทะยาน การบรรลุเป้าหมายจะยากขึ้นมาก

Grammatical Breakdown: "Without ambition" is a prepositional phrase; "achieving goals" is a gerund phrase as subject; "becomes much harder" is the predicate.

Structural Analysis: This compound structure adds complexity, suitable for intermediate discussions on "ambition in Thai."

Complex Sentence

English: Although ambition can lead to success, it must be balanced with ethics to avoid negative consequences.

Thai: แม้ว่าความทะเยอทะยานจะนำไปสู่ความสำเร็จ แต่ต้องสมดุลกับจริยธรรมเพื่อหลีกเลี่ยงผลกระทบเชิงลบ

Grammatical Breakdown: "Although ambition can lead to success" is a subordinate clause; "it must be balanced" is the main clause; "with ethics to avoid negative consequences" is a phrase modifying the main clause.

Structural Analysis: Subordination creates depth, useful for advanced SEO content on "cultural aspects of ambition."

Related Phrases and Expressions

Synonyms/Near Synonyms:

• Aspiration – Often used interchangeably with ambition, it refers to a hope or ambition for future achievements, e.g., in personal goal-setting.
• Drive – Emphasizes internal motivation, similar to ambition but with a focus on energy and persistence, common in business contexts.

Antonyms:

• Apathy – The opposite of ambition, indicating a lack of interest or motivation, often used in discussions about stagnation.
• Contentment – Suggests satisfaction with the status quo, contrasting ambition's desire for more, prevalent in cultural critiques of over-ambition.

Common Collocations:

• Career ambition – Refers to professional goals, frequently used in job-related contexts to discuss "ambition in career growth."
• Ambitious plans – Describes bold strategies, highlighting proactive efforts in planning and execution.

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

Cultural Background:

• Cultural Point 1: In Western cultures, ambition is often celebrated as a pathway to individual success, as seen in American "rags-to-riches" stories. In contrast, Thai culture, influenced by Buddhism, views ambition ("ความทะเยอทะยาน") with caution, emphasizing balance to maintain social harmony and avoid greed, which ties into broader discussions of "ambition meaning" in collectivist societies.

Usage Habits:

• Habit 1: In Thailand, "ความทะเยอทะยาน" is frequently used in educational and professional settings among young adults and entrepreneurs, but less so in everyday casual talk due to its formal tone. It's popular in media and self-help books, with high frequency in urban areas, reflecting a growing interest in global "ambition in Thai" concepts amid modernization.

Grammar Explanation

Grammatical Function: "Ambition" is primarily a noun, functioning as a subject, object, or complement in sentences. For example, it can be a subject (e.g., "Ambition drives success") or an object (e.g., "She pursued her ambition").

Tense and Voice: As a noun, "ambition" doesn't change with tense but appears in various verb constructions. In active voice, it's often linked to action verbs (e.g., "Ambition fuels progress"). In passive voice, it might be part of phrases like "Ambition was fueled by early experiences." This flexibility aids in SEO-optimized sentences for "examples of ambition in sentences."

References

Etymology and History:

The word "ambition" originates from the Latin "ambitio," meaning "a going around" (as in canvassing for votes), evolving in English during the 14th century to denote a desire for honor or power. Its history reflects shifts in societal values, from political contexts in ancient Rome to modern self-improvement narratives, influencing how "ambition meaning" is interpreted today.

Literary References:

• From William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" (Act 1, Scene 7): "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself." This highlights ambition's double-edged nature, a common theme in literary analyses of "ambition in English."
• In modern literature, F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" features the line: "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us." Here, ambition symbolizes unattainable dreams, resonating with cultural discussions on "ambition in Thai" and global perspectives.