Main Translations

• English: Celsius
• Thai: เซลเซียส (Selseias)
• Phonetic: seel-see-as (Romanized pronunciation; in Thai, it's pronounced as /sěel-sìe-ǎas/ with a rising tone on the first syllable)
• Detailed Explanation: "Celsius" refers to a temperature scale named after Anders Celsius, a Swedish astronomer. It is widely used in scientific, meteorological, and everyday contexts to measure temperature, where water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100 degrees under standard atmospheric pressure. Usage scenarios include weather reporting, cooking, and laboratory settings. Emotionally, it conveys neutrality and precision, often associated with formal or technical discussions. Semantic nuances arise in regions like Thailand, where Celsius is the standard unit, emphasizing practicality over alternatives like Fahrenheit, which is more common in the US.
• Thai: องศาเซลเซียส (Ongsa Selseias) [Secondary Translation for emphasis on the full term]
• Phonetic: ong-sà seel-see-as (Romanized; pronounced as /ông-sà sěel-sìe-ǎas/ with a mid tone on the first part)
• Detailed Explanation: This secondary translation adds "องศา" (ongsa), meaning "degree," to specify the unit more explicitly. It is used in educational or precise contexts, such as Thai weather forecasts or science classes. Emotionally, it maintains a factual tone but can evoke a sense of familiarity in daily Thai conversations. Semantic nuances include its role in promoting metric system adoption in Thailand, highlighting global standardization efforts.

Overview of Usage Scenarios

"Celsius" is primarily a noun used in contexts involving temperature measurement. It appears in everyday scenarios like weather discussions, scientific experiments, and cooking instructions. In Thailand, it's the default unit in media, education, and public services, reflecting the country's adoption of the metric system. Key usage includes descriptive statements (e.g., reporting temperatures), interrogative queries (e.g., asking about ideal conditions), and imperative instructions (e.g., setting thermostat levels). This word's versatility makes it essential for both formal and informal communication, with a focus on accuracy and global compatibility.

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

Business Scenario

• English: The laboratory requires the temperature to be maintained at 25 degrees Celsius for optimal results.
• Thai: ห้องปฏิบัติการต้องการให้อุณหภูมิอยู่ที่ 25 องศาเซลเซียส เพื่อผลลัพธ์ที่ดีที่สุด (Hong patibatkarn tonggan hai unuhumue yu thi 25 ongsa selseias pheu polap thi dee thi sut).
• Grammatical Breakdown: "The laboratory" (subject, noun phrase) + "requires" (verb, present tense) + "the temperature" (object, noun) + "to be maintained at 25 degrees Celsius" (infinitive phrase with prepositional modifier). In Thai, "ห้องปฏิบัติการ" is the subject, "ต้องการให้" is the verb phrase, and "อยู่ที่ 25 องศาเซลเซียส" specifies the condition.
• Structural Analysis: This sentence follows a subject-verb-object structure in English, emphasizing command and precision in a professional setting. In Thai, it's a declarative sentence with a conditional clause, common in business Thai for clarity and politeness.

Leisure Scenario

• English: It's 30 degrees Celsius outside, perfect for a beach day.
• Thai: อุณหภูมิภายนอกอยู่ที่ 30 องศาเซลเซียส เหมาะสำหรับวันไปทะเล (Unuhumue phayanok yu thi 30 ongsa selseias, hao samrap wan pai thale).
• Grammatical Breakdown: "It's" (contraction of "It is," subject-verb) + "30 degrees Celsius" (predicate nominative) + "outside" (adverbial phrase) + "perfect for a beach day" (adjective phrase). In Thai, "อุณหภูมิภายนอก" is the subject, "อยู่ที่" is the verb, and "เหมาะสำหรับ" adds a descriptive modifier.
• Structural Analysis: English uses a simple declarative structure for casual description, while Thai incorporates connectors for flow, making it conversational and engaging in leisure contexts.

Formal Occasion

• English: According to the report, the average temperature is 22 degrees Celsius.
• Thai: ตามรายงาน อุณหภูมิเฉลี่ยอยู่ที่ 22 องศาเซลเซียส (Dtam raiwork, unuhumue chaliang yu thi 22 ongsa selseias).
• Grammatical Breakdown: "According to the report" (prepositional phrase) + "the average temperature" (subject) + "is" (verb) + "22 degrees Celsius" (predicate). In Thai, "ตามรายงาน" is a prepositional phrase, and "อุณหภูมิเฉลี่ย" is the subject with "อยู่ที่" as the verb.
• Structural Analysis: This formal English sentence employs a subordinate clause for authority, while Thai maintains a straightforward structure, typical in official Thai documents for emphasis on facts.

Informal Occasion

• English: Wow, it's only 15 degrees Celsius today—grab a jacket!
• Thai: โอ้โห วันนี้แค่ 15 องศาเซลเซียสเลย เอาเสื้อกันหนาวมาด้วยสิ (O ho wan ni khae 15 ongsa selseias loei, ao suea kan nao ma duay si).
• Grammatical Breakdown: "Wow" (exclamation) + "it's" (subject-verb) + "only 15 degrees Celsius" (predicate) + "today" (adverb) + "grab a jacket" (imperative clause). In Thai, "โอ้โห" is an exclamation, and "เอาเสื้อกันหนาวมาด้วยสิ" is an imperative phrase.
• Structural Analysis: English mixes exclamatory and imperative elements for informality, while Thai uses particles like "เลย" and "สิ" to convey urgency and friendliness in casual chats.

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

Declarative Sentence

• English: The water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
• Thai: น้ำเดือดที่ 100 องศาเซลเซียส (Nam dueat thi 100 ongsa selseias).
• Grammatical Breakdown: "The water" (subject) + "boils" (verb) + "at 100 degrees Celsius" (prepositional phrase). In Thai, "น้ำ" is the subject, and "เดือดที่" is the verb phrase.
• Structural Analysis: A simple subject-verb-object structure in both languages, ideal for stating facts.

Interrogative Sentence

• English: Is the room temperature set to 20 degrees Celsius?
• Thai: อุณหภูมิในห้องถูกตั้งไว้ที่ 20 องศาเซลเซียสหรือไม่ (Unuhumue nai hong thuk dtang wai thi 20 ongsa selseias reu mai)?
• Grammatical Breakdown: "Is" (auxiliary verb) + "the room temperature" (subject) + "set to 20 degrees Celsius" (predicate). In Thai, "ถูกตั้งไว้ที่" is the verb phrase, and "หรือไม่" forms the question.
• Structural Analysis: English uses inversion for questions, while Thai relies on question words for inquiry, common in everyday Thai interactions.

Imperative Sentence

• English: Keep the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for baking.
• Thai: เก็บเตาอบไว้ที่ 180 องศาเซลเซียสสำหรับการอบ (Keub tao op wai thi 180 ongsa selseias samrap kan op).
• Grammatical Breakdown: "Keep" (imperative verb) + "the oven" (object) + "at 180 degrees Celsius" (modifier). In Thai, "เก็บไว้ที่" is the imperative verb phrase.
• Structural Analysis: Direct command structure in English; Thai adds context for politeness, reflecting cultural norms.

Exclamatory Sentence

• English: That's extremely hot at 40 degrees Celsius!
• Thai: ร้อนมากเลยที่ 40 องศาเซลเซียส! (Ron mak loei thi 40 ongsa selseias!)
• Grammatical Breakdown: "That's" (subject) + "extremely hot" (predicate) + "at 40 degrees Celsius" (modifier). In Thai, "ร้อนมากเลย" is the exclamatory phrase.
• Structural Analysis: Exaggeration through adjectives in English; Thai uses intensifiers like "มาก" for emphasis, suitable for emotional expressions.

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

Simple Sentence

• English: It's 10 degrees Celsius.
• Thai: มัน 10 องศาเซลเซียส (Man 10 ongsa selseias).
• Grammatical Breakdown: "It's" (subject-verb) + "10 degrees Celsius" (predicate). In Thai, "มัน" is a pronoun for "it," and "10 องศาเซลเซียส" is the predicate.
• Structural Analysis: Basic structure for beginners, focusing on direct statement.

Intermediate Sentence

• English: The weather today is around 25 degrees Celsius, so plan accordingly.
• Thai: สภาพอากาศวันนี้อยู่ประมาณ 25 องศาเซลเซียส ดังนั้นวางแผนให้ดี (Saphak aagat wan ni yu pramarn 25 ongsa selseias, dangnan wang plan hai dee).
• Grammatical Breakdown: "The weather today" (subject) + "is around 25 degrees Celsius" (predicate) + "so plan accordingly" (adverbial clause). In Thai, it includes a subordinate clause for advice.
• Structural Analysis: Adds complexity with connectors, making it suitable for intermediate learners.

Complex Sentence

• English: Although the forecast predicted 15 degrees Celsius, the actual temperature exceeded expectations due to climate change.
• Thai: แม้ว่าพยากรณ์จะคาดการณ์ไว้ที่ 15 องศาเซลเซียส แต่อุณหภูมิที่แท้จริงเกินความคาดหมายเพราะการเปลี่ยนแปลงสภาพภูมิอากาศ (Maew wa phayakron ja khadkarn wai thi 15 ongsa selseias, tae unuhumue thi dtae jing goen khwam khatmai proh kan plianplaeng saphak phumiaagat).
• Grammatical Breakdown: Subordinate clause ("Although...") + main clause ("the actual temperature..."). In Thai, "แม้ว่า" introduces the subordinate clause.
• Structural Analysis: Involves multiple clauses and advanced vocabulary, ideal for advanced users discussing environmental topics.

Related Phrases and Expressions

Synonyms/Near Synonyms:

• Centigrade – Usage Explanation: Often used interchangeably with Celsius, especially in older texts; e.g., "The temperature is 0 centigrade," implying the same freezing point, common in scientific contexts for historical reasons.
• Kelvin scale – Usage Explanation: A related absolute temperature scale; e.g., "Convert Celsius to Kelvin for physics calculations," used in advanced scientific discussions to avoid negative values.

Antonyms:

• Fahrenheit – Usage Explanation: The primary alternative scale, especially in the US; e.g., "In Fahrenheit, 0 Celsius is 32 degrees," highlighting regional differences in temperature measurement.
• Rankine scale – Usage Explanation: An absolute scale like Kelvin; e.g., "Engineers use Rankine for thermodynamic calculations," contrasting with Celsius in specialized engineering fields.

Common Collocations:

• Degrees Celsius – Usage Explanation: The standard way to express temperature; e.g., "The recipe calls for 200 degrees Celsius," frequently used in cooking and weather reports.
• Celsius scale – Usage Explanation: Refers to the system as a whole; e.g., "The Celsius scale is metric-based," common in educational or comparative discussions.

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

Cultural Background:

• Cultural Point 1: In Thailand, Celsius is deeply integrated into daily life due to the country's adoption of the metric system in the 1960s, influenced by international standards. This reflects a broader cultural shift towards globalization, where Celsius symbolizes precision and modernity in weather forecasts on TV or apps like Thai Meteorological Department reports. Unlike in the US, where Fahrenheit prevails, Celsius usage in Thailand fosters a sense of unity with metric-using nations, often evoking trust in scientific accuracy during tropical climate discussions.

Usage Habits:

• Habit 1: Celsius is used frequently in everyday conversations, with high popularity among all age groups in Thailand. For instance, it's a staple in casual chats about heatwaves or in formal settings like schools, appearing in 90% of weather-related media. Applicable groups include urban professionals who check apps daily and rural communities relying on radio broadcasts, making it a universal habit for practical decision-making.

Grammar Explanation

Grammatical Function:

"Celsius" functions primarily as a proper noun in a noun phrase, often as part of a measurement unit (e.g., object or modifier). In sentences, it acts as a specifier for temperature, such as in "25 degrees Celsius," where it describes the scale. In Thai, it integrates similarly as a noun adjunct, e.g., in "องศาเซลเซียส," enhancing descriptive elements without changing the sentence's core structure.

Tense and Voice:

As a static noun, "Celsius" does not change with tenses; it remains consistent across present, past, or future contexts (e.g., "It was 20 degrees Celsius yesterday"). In active voice, it's part of the subject or object; passive constructions are rare but possible, like "The temperature was measured in Celsius." In Thai, voice shifts are minimal, but the word adapts to sentence tense through surrounding verbs, such as past tense markers like "ได้" (dai) for completed actions.

References

Etymology and History:

The word "Celsius" originates from Anders Celsius, an 18th-century Swedish astronomer who proposed the scale in 1742. Initially reversed (with 0 as boiling point), it evolved to its modern form by 1745. Historically, it gained prominence during the metric system's standardization in the 19th century, spreading globally except in a few regions. In Thai, "เซลเซียส" was adopted in the 20th century with metric reforms, reflecting Thailand's alignment with international science.

Literary References:

• From H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine" (1895): "The air was at about 15 degrees Celsius," illustrating early scientific fiction's use of precise measurements to depict futuristic settings. Source: Wells, H.G. The Time Machine, Chapter 4.
• From contemporary Thai literature, in "Four Reigns" by Kukrit Pramoj: "The summer heat reached 35 degrees Celsius, unbearable for the city dwellers," highlighting cultural adaptation to climate. Source: Pramoj, Kukrit. Four Reigns, translated edition, Chapter 12.