BaanWords

cell

เซลล์ - Thai translation

Main Translations

  • English: Cell
  • Thai: เซลล์ (Primary Translation 1)
  • Phonetic: Sell (Romanized as "sell" in Thai pronunciation)
  • Detailed Explanation: In English, "cell" primarily refers to the basic structural and functional unit of all living organisms in biology. It is a neutral, scientific term with no strong emotional connotations, often used in educational, medical, and research contexts. For instance, it describes how cells divide, function, or form tissues. Semantic nuances include its metaphorical extensions, such as in technology (e.g., a battery cell) or society (e.g., a prison cell). In Thai, "เซลล์" is directly borrowed from English and is commonly used in scientific and academic settings, maintaining the same neutral tone. It emphasizes microscopic life processes and is prevalent in biology textbooks or health discussions.
  • Thai: ห้องขัง (Secondary Translation 2)
  • Phonetic: Hong khang (Romanized as "hong khang")
  • Detailed Explanation: This translation refers to a prison cell or a confined space for detention. It carries a more negative emotional connotation, evoking themes of punishment, isolation, or restriction. In Thai culture, "ห้องขัง" is used in legal, news, or dramatic contexts, often highlighting social issues like crime or justice. Semantic nuances include its use in idioms related to entrapment, making it less formal and more context-specific than the biological "เซลล์."

Overview of Usage Scenarios

The word "cell" is versatile and appears in various contexts, primarily in scientific (e.g., biology and medicine), everyday technology (e.g., cell phones), and societal discussions (e.g., prison cells). In Thai, it adapts to these scenarios with translations like "เซลล์" for biological or scientific uses and "ห้องขัง" for confinement. Common usage scenarios include educational explanations, technological descriptions, legal conversations, and metaphorical expressions, making it a foundational term in both formal and informal settings. This adaptability enhances its relevance in SEO searches like "cell definition and examples."

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

  • Business Scenario
    • English: The company is investing in new cell technology to improve battery life in smartphones.
    • Thai: บริษัทกำลังลงทุนในเทคโนโลยีเซลล์ใหม่เพื่อเพิ่มอายุการใช้งานแบตเตอรี่ในสมาร์ทโฟน (Brikrit gamlang long tuam nai technology sell mai pheuaเพิม ahu karn chua khan baht dtree rii nai smart phone).
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "The company" (subject, noun phrase) is investing (verb, present continuous tense) in new cell technology (object, noun phrase) to improve (infinitive phrase for purpose) battery life (object complement).
    • Structural Analysis: This sentence follows a subject-verb-object structure with a purpose clause, common in business English. In Thai, it uses a similar structure but with post-verbal modifiers, making it concise for professional communication.
  • Leisure Scenario
    • English: During our hike, we observed various plant cells under a microscope.
    • Thai: ระหว่างการเดินป่า เราสังเกตเซลล์ของพืชต่างๆ ภายใต้กล้องจุลทรรศน์ (Rian waan karn dern pa, rao sang get sell khong phut taang taang phai tae glaong chul tud sahn).
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "During our hike" (prepositional phrase, adverbial) we observed (verb, past tense) various plant cells (object, noun phrase) under a microscope (prepositional phrase).
    • Structural Analysis: The sentence uses a time adverbial at the start for context, typical in narrative English. Thai mirrors this with a temporal clause, emphasizing observational leisure activities.
  • Formal Occasion
    • English: In the biology lecture, the professor explained the structure of a typical animal cell.
    • Thai: ในชั้นเรียนชีววิทยา ศาสตราจารย์อธิบายโครงสร้างของเซลล์สัตว์ทั่วไป (Nai chahn riarn chee wa yaa, sas tra ja rahn a thibai khroong sathuk khong sell sat wa thuea pai).
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "In the biology lecture" (prepositional phrase) the professor (subject) explained (verb, past tense) the structure (object) of a typical animal cell (noun phrase).
    • Structural Analysis: This formal structure employs a simple declarative form with embedded details, ideal for academic settings. Thai maintains formality through honorifics like "ศาสตราจารย์."
  • Informal Occasion
    • English: I locked myself in my room like a cell to focus on studying.
    • Thai: ฉันขังตัวเองในห้องเหมือนห้องขังเพื่อมุ่งมั่นเรียน (Chan khang dtua eng nai hong muea hong khang pheua mung mun riarn).
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "I" (subject) locked myself (verb phrase, reflexive) in my room (prepositional phrase) like a cell (simile) to focus on studying (infinitive phrase).
    • Structural Analysis: Informal English uses metaphors for emphasis, with a casual tone. Thai employs simile for relatability, common in everyday conversations.

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

  • Declarative Sentence
    • English: A cell is the smallest unit of life.
    • Thai: เซลล์เป็นหน่วยเล็กที่สุดของชีวิต (Sell bpen neung lek thi soot khong chee wit).
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "A cell" (subject) is (verb, linking) the smallest unit of life (predicate nominative).
    • Structural Analysis: Straightforward subject-verb-complement structure for factual statements; Thai uses a similar pattern for clarity.
  • Interrogative Sentence
    • English: What is the function of a cell in the human body?
    • Thai: หน้าที่ของเซลล์ในร่างกายมนุษย์คืออะไร (Na thi khong sell nai rang kai ma noot chee wa rai).
    • Grammatical Breakdown: "What" (interrogative pronoun) is the function (subject) of a cell (prepositional phrase) in the human body (object)?
    • Structural Analysis: Question word at the start inverts typical order; Thai follows with a question particle for inquiry.
  • Imperative Sentence
    • English: Study the cell diagram carefully before the exam.
    • Thai: ศึกษาแผนผังเซลล์อย่างระมัดระวังก่อนสอบ (Sut saha plan phang sell yang ra mat ra wang kon saap).
    • Grammatical Breakdown: Study (imperative verb) the cell diagram (object) carefully (adverb) before the exam (prepositional phrase).
    • Structural Analysis: Commands omit the subject; Thai uses adverbs for emphasis in instructional contexts.
  • Exclamatory Sentence
    • English: How amazing that a single cell can develop into a whole organism!
    • Thai: น่าเหลือเชื่อที่เซลล์เดียวสามารถพัฒนาเป็นสิ่งมีชีวิตทั้งหมด! (Na leua cheua thi sell diao sarm rad phet na bpen sing mee chee wit thang haam!)
    • Grammatical Breakdown: How amazing (exclamation) that a single cell (subject) can develop (verb) into a whole organism (object)!
    • Structural Analysis: Exclamatory words heighten emotion; Thai ends with an exclamation mark for dramatic effect.

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

  • Simple Sentence
    • English: Cells grow and divide.
    • Thai: เซลล์เติบโตและแบ่งตัว (Sell dtib tor lae baeang dtua).
    • Grammatical Breakdown: Cells (subject) grow and divide (verbs).
    • Structural Analysis: Basic subject-verb structure for beginners; Thai is equally straightforward.
  • Intermediate Sentence
    • English: The cell membrane protects the internal components from external threats.
    • Thai: เยื่อหุ้มเซลล์ปกป้องส่วนประกอบภายในจากภัยคุกคามภายนอก (Yeua hum sell pok kong suan prakop plai nai chak pai khuk kham phai na k).
    • Grammatical Breakdown: The cell membrane (subject) protects (verb) the internal components (object) from external threats (prepositional phrase).
    • Structural Analysis: Includes modifiers for detail; Thai uses compound phrases for intermediate learners.
  • Complex Sentence
    • English: Although cells are microscopic, they perform essential functions that sustain life, which is why studying them is crucial in biology.
    • Thai: แม้ว่าเซลล์จะเล็กมากแต่ก็ทำหน้าที่สำคัญที่ช่วยให้ชีวิตดำเนินต่อไป ซึ่งเป็นเหตุผลว่าทำไมการศึกษาพวกมันจึงสำคัญในชีววิทยา (Mae wa sell ja lek mak tae gor tham na thi sarm gun thi chuay hai chee wit dam neun tor pai, teung bpen het luak wa tam mai karn sut sa ha puak man jeung sarm gun nai chee wa yaa).
    • Grammatical Breakdown: Although cells are microscopic (subordinate clause), they perform essential functions (main clause) that sustain life (relative clause), which is why studying them is crucial (additional clause).
    • Structural Analysis: Multiple clauses for advanced expression; Thai connects ideas with conjunctions for logical flow.

Related Phrases and Expressions

  • Synonyms/Near Synonyms:
    • Unit of life – Used interchangeably in biological contexts to describe the fundamental building block, e.g., in educational materials.
    • Biological entity – A more formal synonym emphasizing scientific classification.
  • Antonyms:
    • Organism – Refers to a complete living being, contrasting with the microscopic scale of a cell.
    • Non-cellular structure – Highlights inorganic or artificial forms, like a machine part.
  • Common Collocations:
    • Cell division – Refers to the process of cell replication, common in biology discussions.
    • Solar cell – Used in technology for energy conversion, popular in sustainable contexts.

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

  • Cultural Background:
    • Cultural Point 1: In Thai culture, the concept of "เซลล์" (cell) is deeply tied to modern education and Buddhism's emphasis on interconnectedness. For instance, it symbolizes the building blocks of life, aligning with Thai philosophical views on karma and rebirth, where individual cells represent microcosms of larger life cycles.
  • Usage Habits:
    • Habit 1: "เซลล์" is frequently used in formal education and media, especially among students and professionals, due to Thailand's strong focus on STEM fields. It's less common in casual talk but popular in urban areas, with high frequency in online searches for "cell meaning in Thai."

Grammar Explanation

  • Grammatical Function: "Cell" functions primarily as a noun, serving as a subject, object, or part of a phrase (e.g., "the cell divides" – subject; "study the cell" – object). In Thai, it acts similarly as a noun without gender or case changes.
  • Tense and Voice: As a noun, "cell" doesn't change with tense, but verbs around it do (e.g., present: "The cell functions"; past: "The cell functioned"). In passive voice, it can be: "The cell was studied." Thai verbs are less inflected, relying on context for tense.

References

  • Etymology and History: The English word "cell" originates from the Latin "cella," meaning a small room, evolving in the 17th century to describe biological units via Robert Hooke's microscope observations. In Thai, "เซลล์" is a modern loanword from English, adopted during the 20th-century scientific advancements.
  • Literary References: In "The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin (1859), cells are referenced as: "We have seen that in each organic being the sum of the cells is the unit of life." In Thai literature, such as in science textbooks, it's echoed in phrases like "เซลล์เป็นพื้นฐานของชีวิต" (Cells are the basis of life), emphasizing its foundational role.