Main Translations

English: Annul

Thai: ยกเลิก (Yok Lek)

Detailed Explanation: The word "annul" is a verb that means to officially cancel, invalidate, or declare something as void, often in legal, contractual, or formal contexts. For instance, it is commonly used in scenarios involving marriages, contracts, or laws. Emotionally, it carries a connotation of permanence and resolution, implying a deliberate and authoritative action that erases prior validity. Semantically, it emphasizes legal or formal revocation rather than casual cancellation, making it more formal than everyday synonyms like "cancel." In Thai, "ยกเลิก" shares similar nuances, used for revoking agreements or decisions, and is prevalent in business and administrative settings, evoking a sense of formality and authority.

Thai: เพิกถอน (Phek Thon)

Detailed Explanation: As a secondary translation, "เพิกถอน" also means to annul or withdraw, particularly in legal or official contexts such as revoking a license or nullifying a decision. It implies a more authoritative and irreversible action, often with emotional undertones of disappointment or conflict resolution. Semantically, it is slightly more formal than "ยกเลิก" and is preferred in judicial or governmental scenarios, highlighting the nuances of power dynamics and legal permanence in Thai culture.

Overview of Usage Scenarios

The word "annul" is primarily used in formal and legal contexts, such as invalidating contracts, marriages, or laws. It appears in business for deal terminations, in leisure for canceling events, and in everyday conversations for emphasizing revocation. Its usage often conveys authority and finality, making it less common in informal settings. In Thai translations, it adapts to cultural norms where hierarchy and formality play a key role, ensuring the word fits scenarios involving respect and official processes.

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

Business Scenario

English: The company decided to annul the merger agreement due to unforeseen financial risks.

Thai: บริษัทตัดสินใจยกเลิกข้อตกลงควบรวมกิจการเนื่องจากความเสี่ยงทางการเงินที่คาดไม่ถึง (Bori sat dtat sin chai yok lek khor tok long khwam kum gam khan thur kit jah gead neung duek khwam sriang thi khat mai thueng).

Grammatical Breakdown: "The company" (subject, noun phrase) + "decided" (verb, past tense) + "to annul" (infinitive verb phrase) + "the merger agreement" (direct object, noun phrase) + "due to" (prepositional phrase indicating reason) + "unforeseen financial risks" (object of preposition, adjective-noun phrase).

Structural Analysis: This is a complex sentence with a main clause ("The company decided...") and a subordinate clause ("due to unforeseen financial risks"). It uses active voice for directness, common in business communication to assert authority and clarity.

Leisure Scenario

English: They had to annul their vacation plans after the travel restrictions were imposed.

Thai: พวกเขาต้องเพิกถอนแผนการเดินทางพักผ่อนหลังจากที่มีการบังคับใช้ข้อจำกัดการเดินทาง (Phueak khao dtong phek thon phan gam dern thang phak phuen lang ja thi mee gaan bang khop chai khor jam gat gam dern thang).

Grammatical Breakdown: "They" (subject, pronoun) + "had to" (modal verb phrase indicating obligation) + "annul" (main verb) + "their vacation plans" (direct object, possessive noun phrase) + "after" (subordinating conjunction) + "the travel restrictions were imposed" (subordinate clause, passive voice).

Structural Analysis: This sentence employs a dependent clause to show sequence, enhancing narrative flow. The passive voice in the subordinate clause ("were imposed") shifts focus to the action, which is typical in leisure contexts to emphasize external factors.

Formal Occasion

English: The court will annul the marriage if evidence of fraud is presented.

Thai: ศาลจะยกเลิกการแต่งงานหากมีหลักฐานการฉ้อโกงถูกนำเสนอ (San ja yok lek gam thaeng wang haak mee lak kha thaan gam cha o kong thuuk nam sorn).

Grammatical Breakdown: "The court" (subject, noun phrase) + "will annul" (future tense verb) + "the marriage" (direct object) + "if" (conditional conjunction) + "evidence of fraud is presented" (subordinate clause, passive voice).

Structural Analysis: A conditional sentence structure is used, with the main clause in the future tense for prediction. This formal setup is ideal for legal contexts, where precision and conditionality highlight potential outcomes.

Informal Occasion

English: Let's annul our bet on the game since the rules weren't clear.

Thai: มาทำให้ยกเลิกการพนันของเราบนเกมนี้เถอะเพราะกฎไม่ชัดเจน (Ma tham hai yok lek gam phan nun khong rao bon gem ni ther puea kot mai chat jen).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Let's" (imperative form of "let us") + "annul" (verb) + "our bet" (direct object, possessive noun phrase) + "on the game" (prepositional phrase) + "since" (conjunction for reason) + "the rules weren't clear" (subordinate clause, past tense).

Structural Analysis: This imperative sentence starts with a suggestion, making it conversational. The casual tone is achieved through contractions and simple structure, suitable for informal discussions.

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

Declarative Sentence

English: The government chose to annul the outdated policy last year.

Thai: รัฐบาลเลือกที่จะยกเลิกนโยบายที่ล้าสมัยเมื่อปีที่แล้ว (Rathaban lek thur ja yok lek na yoh boy thi la sa mai muea pee thi laew).

Grammatical Breakdown: "The government" (subject) + "chose" (verb, past tense) + "to annul" (infinitive) + "the outdated policy" (object) + "last year" (adverbial phrase).

Structural Analysis: A straightforward declarative structure provides factual information, common for reporting events.

Interrogative Sentence

English: Will the committee annul the decision if new evidence emerges?

Thai: คณะกรรมการจะยกเลิกการตัดสินใจหรือไม่หากมีหลักฐานใหม่เกิดขึ้น? (Khana kammakan ja yok lek gam dtat sin jai reu mai haak mee lak kha thaan mai geerd thuup?)

Grammatical Breakdown: "Will" (auxiliary verb for question) + "the committee" (subject) + "annul" (verb) + "the decision" (object) + "if" (conditional clause).

Structural Analysis: The inversion of subject and auxiliary creates a question, encouraging dialogue and uncertainty.

Imperative Sentence

English: Annul the contract immediately to avoid further complications.

Thai: ยกเลิกสัญญาโดยทันทีเพื่อหลีกเลี่ยงปัญหาที่จะเกิดขึ้น (Yok lek san ya doi tan thi pheu leek leuang bpob lem thi ja geerd thuup).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Annul" (imperative verb) + "the contract" (direct object) + "immediately" (adverb) + "to avoid" (infinitive phrase for purpose).

Structural Analysis: Direct and commanding, this sentence uses the base form of the verb to issue instructions.

Exclamatory Sentence

English: How quickly they annulled the agreement—it was shocking!

Thai: พวกเขายกเลิกข้อตกลงอย่างรวดเร็วมาก—มันน่าตกใจจริงๆ! (Phueak khao yok lek khor tok long yang rot reo mak—man na tok ji jing!)

Grammatical Breakdown: "How quickly" (exclamation starter) + "they annulled" (verb phrase) + "the agreement" (object) + "—it was shocking!" (additional clause for emphasis).

Structural Analysis: Exclamatory words like "How" add emotional intensity, making the sentence expressive.

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

Simple Sentence

English: We annulled the plan.

Thai: เรายกเลิกแผน (Rao yok lek phan).

Grammatical Breakdown: "We" (subject) + "annulled" (verb, past tense) + "the plan" (object).

Structural Analysis: Basic subject-verb-object structure for easy comprehension.

Intermediate Sentence

English: The judge annulled the contract because of the error.

Thai: ผู้พิพากษายกเลิกสัญญาเพราะความผิดพลาด (Phu phi phaak sa yok lek san ya phuea khwam pit plaad).

Grammatical Breakdown: "The judge" (subject) + "annulled" (verb) + "the contract" (object) + "because of" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: Introduces a reason clause, adding moderate complexity.

Complex Sentence

English: Although the agreement was signed, the board decided to annul it after reviewing the legal implications.

Thai: แม้ว่าข้อตกลงจะถูกเซ็นต์แล้ว คณะกรรมการก็ตัดสินใจยกเลิกมันหลังจากทบทวนผลกระทบทางกฎหมาย (Maew wa khor tok long ja thuuk sent laew Khana kammakan gor dtat sin chai yok lek man lang ja thap thuean phal kra thop thang kot may).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Although" (subordinating conjunction) + "the agreement was signed" (subordinate clause) + "the board decided" (main clause) + "to annul it" (infinitive phrase) + "after reviewing" (gerund phrase).

Structural Analysis: Multiple clauses create layers, ideal for advanced contexts like legal discussions.

Related Phrases and Expressions

Synonyms/Near Synonyms:

• Void – Used interchangeably with "annul" in legal contexts to mean making something invalid, e.g., "void a contract."
• Revoke – Similar to "annul" but often implies withdrawing permission, e.g., "revoke a license," with a focus on authority.

Antonyms:

• Enforce – The opposite of "annul," meaning to make something effective or binding, e.g., "enforce a law."
• Validate – Contrasts with "annul" by confirming legality or authenticity, e.g., "validate a document."

Common Collocations:

• Annul a marriage – Refers to legally ending a marriage, often in divorce proceedings, emphasizing emotional and legal weight.
• Annul a contract – Common in business, indicating termination due to breaches, highlighting formal agreements.

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

Cultural Background:

• Cultural Point 1: In Western cultures, "annul" is deeply rooted in legal traditions, such as in annulments of marriages in Christian or civil law, symbolizing a "do-over" or invalidation from the start. In Thai culture, equivalents like "ยกเลิก" reflect hierarchical society, where decisions are often made by authorities, tying into concepts of "face" (saving dignity) and respect for elders or officials.

Usage Habits:

• Habit 1: "Annul" and its Thai translations are frequently used in formal settings like courts or businesses, popular among legal professionals and adults. It is less common in casual speech due to its formality, with higher frequency in urban, educated groups who engage with legal matters.

Grammar Explanation

Grammatical Function: "Annul" functions primarily as a transitive verb, requiring a direct object (e.g., "annul the contract"), where it acts as the main action in a sentence. It can also serve in infinitive or participial forms, such as in phrases like "to annul" or "annulling rights."

Tense and Voice: "Annul" changes with tenses: present ("annul"), past ("annulled"), future ("will annul"). In voice, it is active by default (e.g., "We annul the deal"), but can be passive (e.g., "The deal was annulled"), which shifts focus to the action rather than the doer, common in formal writing.

References

Etymology and History:

The word "annul" originates from Latin "annullare," meaning "to make into nothing," derived from "ad-" (to) and "nullus" (none). It evolved in Middle English around the 14th century, entering legal English to denote invalidation. In Thai, "ยกเลิก" comes from older Sino-Thai influences, evolving in modern usage through administrative reforms in the 20th century.

Literary References:

• From Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice": "I do oppose my patience to his fury, and am arm'd to suffer with a quietness of spirit the very tyranny and rage of his." (Indirect reference to annulment of bonds, highlighting legal themes.)
• In modern literature, from Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird": Concepts of annulling injustice are implied, though not directly used, emphasizing social and legal revocation in American culture.