apart

แยก - Thai translation

Main Translations

  • English: apart
  • Thai: แยก (yaek)
  • Phonetic: yaek (pronounced as "yake" with a short 'a' sound)
  • Detailed Explanation: The word "apart" primarily functions as an adverb or preposition in English, indicating separation, distance, or disconnection. In usage scenarios, it often conveys physical separation (e.g., objects or people not together) or emotional/metaphorical distance (e.g., in relationships). Emotionally, it can imply sadness, isolation, or independence, with semantic nuances varying by context—such as emphasizing differences in arguments or highlighting individuality in personal growth. In Thai, "แยก" is commonly used in similar contexts, like dividing items or ideas, and carries a neutral to slightly formal connotation in everyday conversations.
  • Thai: ห่าง (hang)
  • Phonetic: hang (pronounced as "hahng" with a rising tone)
  • Detailed Explanation: As a secondary translation, "ห่าง" emphasizes spatial or temporal distance, often used for physical apartness. It can evoke feelings of longing or detachment in emotional contexts, such as in relationships or travel. Semantic nuances include a focus on measurement (e.g., how far something is), which is common in Thai culture for describing geographical or relational gaps. This word is versatile in informal settings, like casual chats about family or work, and aligns with "apart" when discussing isolation or non-proximity.

Overview of Usage Scenarios

"Apart" is a versatile word primarily used to denote separation, distance, or difference in various contexts. It appears in everyday conversations, business discussions, and literary expressions, often highlighting physical, emotional, or conceptual divides. Common scenarios include describing relationships (e.g., "growing apart"), spatial arrangements (e.g., "set apart"), or processes (e.g., "fall apart"). In Thai translations, it adapts to cultural nuances, such as emphasizing harmony in social interactions, making it essential for language learners focusing on interpersonal communication.

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

  • Business Scenario
    • English: The marketing and sales teams are working apart to meet their individual targets.
    • Thai: ทีมการตลาดและทีมขายกำลังทำงานแยกกันเพื่อบรรลุเป้าหมายของตนเอง
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "The marketing and sales teams" (subject, noun phrase) are the entities performing the action; "are working" (verb phrase in present continuous tense) indicates ongoing activity; "apart" (adverb) modifies "working" to show separation; "to meet their individual targets" (infinitive phrase) explains the purpose.
    • Structural Analysis: This sentence follows a subject-verb-object structure with an adverbial modifier. "Apart" enhances the business context by emphasizing independent operations, which is common in professional settings to highlight efficiency or specialization.
  • Leisure Scenario
    • English: During the vacation, the family decided to stay apart and explore different attractions.
    • Thai: ในช่วงวันหยุดพักผ่อน ครอบครัวตัดสินใจอยู่ห่างกันและสำรวจสถานที่ท่องเที่ยวที่แตกต่าง
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "During the vacation" (prepositional phrase, adverbial) sets the time; "the family" (subject) is the main entity; "decided to stay apart" (verb phrase) shows intention; "and explore different attractions" (coordinating conjunction with infinitive phrase) adds another action.
    • Structural Analysis: The compound structure uses coordination to link actions, with "apart" indicating physical distance for a relaxed, exploratory tone. This reflects leisure contexts where independence is valued.
  • Formal Occasion
    • English: In the board meeting, the proposals were set apart based on their feasibility.
    • Thai: ในที่ประชุมคณะกรรมการ ข้อเสนอต่างๆ ถูกแยกตามความเป็นไปได้
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "In the board meeting" (prepositional phrase) provides context; "the proposals" (subject) are the objects; "were set apart" (passive voice verb phrase) indicates action; "based on their feasibility" (prepositional phrase) specifies the criterion.
    • Structural Analysis: Passive construction emphasizes the proposals over the doer, with "apart" adding formality by denoting categorization. This is typical in professional or academic settings for objective discussions.
  • Informal Occasion
    • English: Let's keep our plans apart from theirs to avoid any confusion.
    • Thai: มาคอยแยกแผนของเราจากแผนของพวกเขาเพื่อหลีกเลี่ยงความสับสน
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "Let's" (contraction of "let us," imperative form) suggests a suggestion; "keep our plans apart" (verb phrase) is the main action; "from theirs" (prepositional phrase) indicates separation; "to avoid any confusion" (infinitive phrase) states the purpose.
    • Structural Analysis: Imperative structure makes it conversational, with "apart" informally conveying distinction. This suits casual interactions, like planning with friends, to maintain clarity.

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

  • Declarative Sentence
    • English: The two friends have grown apart over the years.
    • Thai: เพื่อนทั้งสองคนได้แยกห่างกันตลอดหลายปีที่ผ่านมา
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "The two friends" (subject) are the focus; "have grown apart" (present perfect verb phrase) describes a completed action with ongoing effects; "over the years" (prepositional phrase) adds time context.
    • Structural Analysis: Simple declarative form states a fact, with "apart" highlighting emotional distance, common in reflective narratives.
  • Interrogative Sentence
    • English: Are the books kept apart from the magazines on the shelf?
    • Thai: หนังสือถูกเก็บแยกจากนิตยสารบนชั้นหรือไม่?
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "Are the books kept apart" (subject-verb inversion for question form); "from the magazines" (prepositional phrase) specifies separation; "on the shelf" (prepositional phrase) provides location.
    • Structural Analysis: Question structure inquires about organization, with "apart" emphasizing spatial arrangement, useful in everyday queries.
  • Imperative Sentence
    • English: Set the chairs apart to allow more space for walking.
    • Thai: จัดเก้าอี้ให้ห่างกันเพื่อให้มีพื้นที่เดินมากขึ้น
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "Set the chairs apart" (imperative verb phrase) gives a command; "to allow more space" (infinitive phrase) explains the reason.
    • Structural Analysis: Direct command form uses "apart" for practical instructions, often in organizational contexts.
  • Exclamatory Sentence
    • English: How quickly their paths have drifted apart!
    • Thai: ช่างรวดเร็วเพียงใดที่ทางเดินของพวกเขาได้แยกจากกัน!
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "How quickly" (exclamatory adverbial) expresses surprise; "their paths have drifted apart" (main clause) describes the action.
    • Structural Analysis: Exclamatory structure conveys emotion, with "apart" amplifying the sense of sudden separation in dramatic contexts.

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

  • Simple Sentence
    • English: They live apart.
    • Thai: พวกเขาอยู่ห่างกัน
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "They" (subject); "live apart" (verb phrase with adverb).
    • Structural Analysis: Basic subject-verb structure, ideal for beginners, directly using "apart" for straightforward meaning.
  • Intermediate Sentence
    • English: Despite their closeness, the siblings often feel apart emotionally.
    • Thai: แม้จะใกล้ชิดกัน แต่พี่น้องมักรู้สึกแยกห่างทางอารมณ์
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "Despite their closeness" (concessional phrase); "the siblings" (subject); "often feel apart emotionally" (verb phrase with adverb and adjective).
    • Structural Analysis: Compound structure with contrast, using "apart" to show emotional nuance, suitable for intermediate learners.
  • Complex Sentence
    • English: Although they tried to stay together, external pressures caused their lives to fall apart over time.
    • Thai: แม้พวกเขาจะพยายามอยู่ด้วยกัน แต่แรงกดดันภายนอกทำให้ชีวิตของพวกเขาพังทลายลงตามกาลเวลา
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "Although they tried to stay together" (subordinate clause); "external pressures caused" (main clause verb); "their lives to fall apart over time" (infinitive phrase with adverb).
    • Structural Analysis: Subordinate-main clause structure builds complexity, with "apart" in a metaphorical sense, challenging for advanced users.

Related Phrases and Expressions

  • Synonyms/Near Synonyms:
    • Separate – Used to indicate division or isolation, often in physical contexts (e.g., "The rooms are separate for privacy").
    • Aside – Implies setting something away, commonly in mental or conversational scenarios (e.g., "Put that thought aside for now").
  • Antonyms:
    • Together – Conveys unity or closeness, opposite of separation (e.g., "They worked together to achieve success").
    • United – Emphasizes solidarity, used in social or emotional contexts (e.g., "The community remained united during the crisis").
  • Common Collocations:
    • Fall apart – Refers to breaking down or failing, often emotionally or structurally (e.g., "Their marriage began to fall apart after the argument").
    • Set apart – Means to distinguish or isolate, highlighting uniqueness (e.g., "Her skills set her apart from the other candidates").

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

  • Cultural Background:
    • In Western cultures, "apart" often symbolizes individualism and personal space, as seen in literature like American novels where characters "grow apart" to explore self-identity. In Thai culture, however, separation (e.g., using "แยก") is viewed through a collectivist lens, emphasizing the importance of family harmony and the emotional weight of distance in relationships, such as in Thai festivals where reunions counteract feelings of being apart.
  • Usage Habits:
    • "Apart" and its Thai equivalents are frequently used in daily conversations among young adults and professionals, especially in urban settings like Bangkok, where migration creates physical distances. It is popular in informal chats (e.g., about relationships) but less so in formal Thai contexts due to cultural preferences for unity; frequency increases in digital communication, such as social media, where users discuss "growing apart" from friends.

Grammar Explanation

  • Grammatical Function: "Apart" primarily functions as an adverb (e.g., modifying verbs to show separation) or preposition (e.g., indicating distance from something). It can also act as part of phrasal verbs like "fall apart." In sentences, it often serves as an adverbial modifier, enhancing verbs without changing the core subject-object structure.
  • Tense and Voice: As an adverb, "apart" does not inflect for tense; it remains constant across tenses (e.g., "They are apart" in present, "They were apart" in past). In passive voice constructions, it modifies the verb without alteration (e.g., "The items were kept apart"). This invariability makes it straightforward for learners but requires context for precise meaning.

References

  • Etymology and History: The word "apart" originates from Middle English "a part," derived from Old French "a part," meaning "to the side" or "separately." It evolved from Latin "ad partem," indicating a piece or portion. Historically, it gained prominence in English literature during the Renaissance, symbolizing division in social contexts, and has since adapted to modern usage in psychology and relationships.
  • Literary References: In Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," the line "Parting is such sweet sorrow" indirectly echoes themes of being apart, highlighting emotional separation. More directly, in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," characters "drift apart" due to societal pressures, illustrating the word's use in exploring isolation (source: public domain editions).