Main Translations

English: Attempt

Thai: ความพยายาม (kwām p̄hāyām)

Phonetic: [kwām p̄hāyām]

Detailed Explanation: The Thai word "ความพยายาม" primarily translates to "attempt" as a noun, emphasizing the act of trying to achieve something, often with effort and determination. It carries positive emotional connotations, symbolizing perseverance and resilience in Thai culture, where hard work is highly valued. Usage scenarios include everyday efforts like studying for an exam or pursuing a goal in business. Semantic nuances highlight its focus on the process rather than the outcome, making it suitable for motivational contexts.

Thai: ลอง (long)

Phonetic: [long]

Detailed Explanation: As a secondary translation, "ลอง" means "attempt" in the sense of trying something out, often as a verb. It has a more casual and experimental connotation, implying curiosity or testing without heavy emotional weight. For instance, it's used in leisure or informal scenarios like trying new food. Semantic nuances include its versatility in both positive and neutral contexts, but it can sometimes suggest uncertainty or failure if the attempt doesn't succeed.

Overview of Usage Scenarios

The word "attempt" is versatile and appears in various contexts, such as personal endeavors, professional challenges, and everyday activities. It often conveys the idea of making an effort toward a goal, with common scenarios including business negotiations (e.g., attempting a deal), leisure activities (e.g., attempting a new hobby), formal occasions (e.g., attempting to solve a problem in a meeting), and informal settings (e.g., attempting a fun challenge). Overall, "attempt" highlights action, intent, and potential outcomes, making it a key word for discussions on motivation, failure, and success in both English and Thai languages.

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

Business Scenario

English: The company made another attempt to negotiate the contract with the suppliers.

Thai: บริษัทพยายามเจรจาสัญญากับผู้จัดหาอีกครั้ง (brikh̄r p̄hāyām cèrcā s̄ạnyā gàb p̄hū̀ cạd h̄ā ạk khr̂ng)

Grammatical Breakdown: "The company" (subject, noun phrase) + "made" (verb in past tense) + "another attempt" (object, noun) + "to negotiate" (infinitive phrase indicating purpose) + "the contract" (direct object) + "with the suppliers" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: This sentence follows a subject-verb-object structure, common in business English. The word "attempt" functions as a noun, emphasizing effort in a formal context. In Thai, the structure is subject-verb-object with postpositional elements, maintaining a professional tone.

Leisure Scenario

English: She decided to attempt climbing the mountain for the first time.

Thai: เธอตัดสินใจลองปีนเขาครั้งแรก (thoe tạds̄in cı lông pīn kheā khr̂ng h̄r̀k)

Grammatical Breakdown: "She" (subject, pronoun) + "decided" (verb in past tense) + "to attempt" (infinitive verb phrase) + "climbing" (gerund as object) + "the mountain" (direct object) + "for the first time" (adverbial phrase).

Structural Analysis: The sentence uses a simple declarative structure with "attempt" as a verb, highlighting personal adventure. In Thai, it employs a straightforward subject-verb-object format, with "ลอง" adding a casual, exploratory nuance suitable for leisure activities.

Formal Occasion

English: The scientist will attempt to replicate the experiment during the conference.

Thai: นักวิทยาศาสตร์จะพยายามทำซ้ำการทดลองในระหว่างการประชุม (nạk wịth̄yāṣāṣṭ̄r cı p̄hāyām tham s̄ảp kār t̀d lông nı bān thảng kār prach̄um)

Grammatical Breakdown: "The scientist" (subject, noun phrase) + "will attempt" (future tense verb) + "to replicate" (infinitive phrase) + "the experiment" (direct object) + "during the conference" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: This formal sentence uses future tense for anticipation, with "attempt" as a verb to denote planned action. Thai translation mirrors this with a subject-verb-object structure, emphasizing precision in academic or professional settings.

Informal Occasion

English: Let's attempt to fix the bike ourselves before calling a mechanic.

Thai: ลองซ่อมจักรยานเองก่อนโทรเรียกช่าง (long s̄̂m cak kr̄yān ʻeng k̀xn thr rīak c̄h̀āng)

Grammatical Breakdown: "Let's" (contraction of "let us," imperative subject) + "attempt" (verb) + "to fix" (infinitive phrase) + "the bike" (direct object) + "ourselves" (reflexive pronoun) + "before calling" (subordinate clause).

Structural Analysis: An imperative structure encourages action, with "attempt" as a verb for casual suggestion. In Thai, "ลอง" conveys informality, making it ideal for everyday conversations.

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

Declarative Sentence

English: He made an attempt to learn Thai last year.

Thai: เขาพยายามเรียนภาษาไทยเมื่อปีที่แล้ว (k̄hâo p̄hāyām reıan p̄hās̄ā thịy mụ̄n pī t̀hī)

Grammatical Breakdown: "He" (subject) + "made" (verb) + "an attempt" (object) + "to learn" (infinitive) + "Thai" (object) + "last year" (adverbial phrase).

Structural Analysis: This declarative sentence states a fact, with "attempt" as a noun. Thai structure is similar, focusing on straightforward narration.

Interrogative Sentence

English: Did you attempt to solve the puzzle yet?

Thai: คุณลองแก้ปริศนานี้แล้วหรือยัง? (khun long kảe pris̄nạ nī læ̂w h̄rụ̄ yang?)

Grammatical Breakdown: "Did you" (auxiliary verb + subject) + "attempt" (verb) + "to solve" (infinitive) + "the puzzle" (object) + "yet" (adverb).

Structural Analysis: The question form inverts the subject and auxiliary, using "attempt" for inquiry. Thai uses rising intonation markers like "หรือยัง" for questions.

Imperative Sentence

English: Attempt the challenge without giving up!

Thai: พยายามท้าทายโดยไม่ยอมแพ้! (p̄hāyām thả thāy døy mị̀ yụ̄m p̄æ̂!)

Grammatical Breakdown: "Attempt" (imperative verb) + "the challenge" (object) + "without giving up" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: Direct command structure motivates action, with "attempt" as the main verb. Thai adds an exclamatory tone for emphasis.

Exclamatory Sentence

English: What a brave attempt that was!

Thai: นั่นเป็นความพยายามที่กล้าหาญมาก! (nận pĕn kwām p̄hāyām thī̀ klà h̄āṇ māk!)

Grammatical Breakdown: "What a" (exclamation starter) + "brave attempt" (noun phrase) + "that was" (clause).

Structural Analysis: Exclamatory structure expresses admiration, with "attempt" as a noun. Thai uses exclamation marks for emotional intensity.

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

Simple Sentence

English: I attempt to run every morning.

Thai: ฉันพยายามวิ่งทุกเช้า (c̄hạn p̄hāyām wıng thuk cheā)

Grammatical Breakdown: "I" (subject) + "attempt" (verb) + "to run" (infinitive) + "every morning" (adverbial phrase).

Structural Analysis: Basic subject-verb-object structure for beginners, emphasizing routine.

Intermediate Sentence

English: Despite the rain, they attempted to finish the project on time.

Thai: แม้จะฝนตก พวกเขาก็พยายามเสร็จสิ้นโครงการให้ทันเวลา (mæ̀ cı f̀n tk p̄hụk k̄hâo kò p̄hāyām s̄er̂c sin kār kảd h̄ı̂ thạn welā)

Grammatical Breakdown: "Despite the rain" (subordinate clause) + "they" (subject) + "attempted" (verb) + "to finish" (infinitive) + "the project" (object) + "on time" (adverbial phrase).

Structural Analysis: Includes a concessive clause for added complexity, with "attempted" showing past tense.

Complex Sentence

English: Although she failed in her first attempt, she continued to practice until she succeeded.

Thai: แม้เธอจะล้มเหลวในความพยายามครั้งแรก แต่เธอก็ยังคงฝึกฝนต่อไปจนประสบความสำเร็จ (mæ̀ thoe cı lml̂w nı kwām p̄hāyām khr̂ng h̄r̀k tæ̀ thoe kò yang keng f̀k f̀n t̀x xy cı pras̄b kwām s̄ảms̄er̂c)

Grammatical Breakdown: "Although she failed" (subordinate clause) + "in her first attempt" (prepositional phrase) + "she continued" (main clause) + "to practice" (infinitive) + "until she succeeded" (subordinate clause).

Structural Analysis: Multiple clauses create depth, illustrating perseverance with "attempt" as a noun.

Related Phrases and Expressions

Synonyms/Near Synonyms:

• Try – Used interchangeably with "attempt" in casual contexts, often implying a single action (e.g., "Try your best" conveys encouragement).
• Endeavor – A more formal synonym, emphasizing sustained effort (e.g., "His endeavor to innovate paid off").

Antonyms:

• Succeed – The opposite of "attempt" in terms of outcome, highlighting achievement rather than effort (e.g., "He didn't just attempt; he succeeded").
• Abandon – Indicates giving up on an attempt, often with negative connotations (e.g., "She decided to abandon the project").

Common Collocations:

• Make an attempt – Used to describe initiating an effort (e.g., "Make an attempt to improve your skills").
• Failed attempt – Refers to an unsuccessful try, common in narratives (e.g., "His failed attempt taught him a lesson").

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

Cultural Background:

• Cultural Point 1: In Thai culture, the concept of "attempt" aligns with the value of "กรุณาธิคุณ" (gratitude and perseverance), where persistent efforts are seen as virtuous. For instance, stories in Thai folklore often depict characters making multiple attempts to overcome obstacles, reflecting Buddhist influences on resilience and karma.

Usage Habits:

• Habit 1: "Attempt" and its Thai equivalents like "ความพยายาม" are frequently used in educational and motivational contexts, popular among students and professionals. It's more common in formal writing or speeches, with everyday casual use leaning toward "ลอง" for younger demographics.

Grammar Explanation

Grammatical Function: "Attempt" can function as a verb (e.g., transitive: "I attempt to solve it") or a noun (e.g., "This is my attempt"). As a verb, it often takes an infinitive complement; as a noun, it acts as a subject, object, or part of a phrase.

Tense and Voice: It changes with tenses (e.g., present: attempt; past: attempted; future: will attempt). In active voice, it shows direct action (e.g., "We attempt it"); in passive voice, it might appear as "An attempt was made by us," though less common.

References

Etymology and History:

The word "attempt" originates from the Latin "attemptare," meaning "to try or test," evolving through Old French "attempter" in the 14th century to its modern English form. In Thai, "ความพยายาม" draws from Sanskrit influences in the language, emphasizing effort in historical texts.

Literary References:

• From Shakespeare's "Hamlet": "To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them?" Here, "attempt" is implied in the theme of action versus inaction.
• In Thai literature, from the epic "Phra Aphai Mani" by Sunthorn Phu: The hero's repeated attempts to escape dangers symbolize resilience, a common motif in Thai poetry.