Main Translations

English: Contemporary

Thai: ร่วมสมัย (Ruam Samai)

Phonetic: Ruam Samai (pronounced as "room sa-mai", with a rising tone on "ruam" and a mid tone on "samai").

Detailed Explanation: The term "ร่วมสมัย" is the primary Thai translation for "contemporary," referring to something that exists or occurs at the same time as the present, often implying modernity, relevance, or alignment with current trends. Usage scenarios include art, culture, and technology, where it conveys a sense of innovation and timeliness. Emotionally, it has positive connotations of freshness and progress, but semantically, it can nuance subtle differences based on context—e.g., in art, it might mean "modern art" without implying futuristic elements. In Thai society, it's commonly used in discussions about global influences on local culture.

Thai: สมัยใหม่ (Samai Mai)

Phonetic: Samai Mai (pronounced as "sa-mai mai", with a mid tone on "samai" and a falling tone on "mai").

Detailed Explanation: As a secondary translation, "สมัยใหม่" emphasizes the "modern" aspect of "contemporary," often used interchangeably but with a stronger focus on novelty and innovation. Usage scenarios include fashion, design, and everyday language, such as describing new technologies or styles. Emotionally, it evokes excitement and aspiration, but semantically, it can differ from "ร่วมสมัย" by leaning more toward "new age" rather than "of the same era." In Thai contexts, it's prevalent in advertising and media to highlight contemporary trends while appealing to younger demographics.

Overview of Usage Scenarios

This word is versatile and appears in various contexts, primarily as an adjective describing things that are current, modern, or coexisting with the present time. Key usage scenarios include cultural discussions (e.g., contemporary art), business (e.g., contemporary strategies), and everyday conversations (e.g., contemporary issues). It often implies relevance and adaptability, making it common in formal writing, academic discourse, and informal chats about trends. In Thai, it's adapted to reflect cultural nuances, such as blending traditional elements with modern ones.

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

Business Scenario

English: In contemporary business practices, sustainability is a key factor for success.

Thai: ในแนวทางธุรกิจร่วมสมัย การยั่งยืนเป็นปัจจัยสำคัญต่อความสำเร็จ (Nai naew thang thurakit ruam samai, kan yang yuen pen piat jong sud tueng khwam samret).

Grammatical Breakdown: "In" (preposition) + "contemporary" (adjective modifying "business practices") + "business practices" (noun phrase) + "sustainability" (noun) + "is" (verb) + "a key factor" (noun phrase) + "for success" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: This is a declarative sentence with an adjective-noun structure. "Contemporary" functions attributively to describe evolving business methods, emphasizing modernity in a professional context. The sentence follows a subject-verb-object pattern, making it straightforward for SEO-optimized business content.

Leisure Scenario

English: We often visit contemporary art galleries to relax and get inspired.

Thai: เรามักไปเยี่ยมชมแกลเลอรีศิลปะร่วมสมัยเพื่อผ่อนคลายและได้รับแรงบันดาลใจ (Rao mak pai yiam chom gallery sinlapa ruam samai pheua phon khlay lae dai rap lang ban dal jai).

Grammatical Breakdown: "We" (subject pronoun) + "often" (adverb) + "visit" (verb) + "contemporary" (adjective modifying "art galleries") + "art galleries" (noun phrase) + "to relax and get inspired" (infinitive phrase).

Structural Analysis: This sentence uses "contemporary" predicatively to highlight leisure activities, with a compound infinitive phrase for purpose. It demonstrates how the word adds a modern flair to casual contexts, optimizing for searches like "contemporary art examples."

Formal Occasion

English: The conference focused on contemporary issues in global politics.

Thai: การประชุมมุ่งเน้นเรื่องร่วมสมัยในด้านการเมืองโลก (Kan prachum mung nen reuang ruam samai nai dan kan meung lok).

Grammatical Breakdown: "The conference" (subject noun phrase) + "focused on" (verb phrase) + "contemporary" (adjective modifying "issues") + "issues" (noun) + "in global politics" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: A simple declarative structure where "contemporary" specifies relevance in a formal setting. This usage enhances SEO for topics like "contemporary global issues" by linking to current events.

Informal Occasion

English: Let's check out that contemporary cafe with the cool vibes.

Thai: ไปดูคาเฟ่ร่วมสมัยที่บรรยากาศเจ๋งๆ กันดีไหม (Pai du cafe ruam samai thi barn yakat jeng-jeng gan di mai).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Let's" (contraction of "let us") + "check out" (phrasal verb) + "that" (demonstrative adjective) + "contemporary" (adjective modifying "cafe") + "cafe" (noun) + "with the cool vibes" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: An imperative sentence with "contemporary" adding a trendy element to informal speech. It optimizes for casual searches like "contemporary cafe ideas" through relatable language.

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

Declarative Sentence

English: Contemporary music reflects the diversity of modern society.

Thai: ดนตรีร่วมสมัยสะท้อนความหลากหลายของสังคมสมัยใหม่ (Dn-tri ruam samai sa-thon khwam laak-duai khong sangkhom samai mai).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Contemporary" (adjective) + "music" (subject noun) + "reflects" (verb) + "the diversity" (object noun phrase) + "of modern society" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: Straightforward subject-verb-object structure, ideal for educational content on "contemporary music meaning."

Interrogative Sentence

English: Is this painting truly contemporary?

Thai: ภาพนี้เป็นภาพร่วมสมัยจริงๆ หรือ? (Phap ni pen phap ruam samai jing-jing rue?)

Grammatical Breakdown: "Is" (auxiliary verb) + "this painting" (subject) + "truly" (adverb) + "contemporary" (predicate adjective)?

Structural Analysis: A yes/no question format, using "contemporary" to question authenticity, suitable for SEO in art discussions.

Imperative Sentence

English: Explore contemporary literature to broaden your horizons.

Thai: ลองสำรวจวรรณกรรมร่วมสมัยเพื่อขยายวิสัยทัศน์ของคุณ (Long samruap wannakam ruam samai pheua khayai wisaithat khong khun).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Explore" (imperative verb) + "contemporary" (adjective modifying "literature") + "to broaden your horizons" (infinitive phrase).

Structural Analysis: Commands action with "contemporary" as a modifier, optimizing for motivational content.

Exclamatory Sentence

English: What an exciting contemporary exhibit this is!

Thai: นี่เป็นนิทรรศการร่วมสมัยที่น่าตื่นเต้นมาก! (Ni pen nithon ruam samai thi na thuean then mak!)

Grammatical Breakdown: "What an" (exclamation starter) + "exciting" (adjective) + "contemporary" (adjective modifying "exhibit") + "this is" (subject and verb).

Structural Analysis: Emphasizes enthusiasm, with "contemporary" enhancing the exclamatory tone for event promotions.

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

Simple Sentence

English: This is contemporary art.

Thai: นี่คือศิลปะร่วมสมัย (Ni kue sinlapa ruam samai).

Grammatical Breakdown: "This" (subject) + "is" (verb) + "contemporary" (adjective) + "art" (noun).

Structural Analysis: Basic subject-verb-complement structure, beginner-friendly for SEO in language learning.

Intermediate Sentence

English: Contemporary designs often incorporate sustainable materials.

Thai: การออกแบบร่วมสมัยมักนำวัสดุที่ยั่งยืนมาใช้ (Kan aok baep ruam samai mak nam wasdu thi yang yuen ma chai).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Contemporary" (adjective) + "designs" (subject) + "often" (adverb) + "incorporate" (verb) + "sustainable materials" (object).

Structural Analysis: Includes an adverb for frequency, suitable for intermediate learners searching "contemporary design examples."

Complex Sentence

English: Although contemporary technology advances rapidly, it must address ethical concerns to ensure long-term benefits.

Thai: แม้ว่าเทคโนโลยีร่วมสมัยจะก้าวหน้าเร็ว แต่ต้องจัดการปัญหาทางจริยธรรมเพื่อประโยชน์ในระยะยาว (Maew wa technology ruam samai ca kao na rea, tae dtong jing jang piat tha thang jariatham pheua prayoch nit nai ra ya yao).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Although" (subordinating conjunction) + "contemporary technology" (subject) + "advances rapidly" (clause) + "," + "it must address" (main clause) + "ethical concerns" (object) + "to ensure long-term benefits" (infinitive phrase).

Structural Analysis: A compound-complex structure with subordination, ideal for advanced SEO content on "contemporary technology ethics."

Related Phrases and Expressions

Synonyms/Near Synonyms:

• Modern – Used to describe current styles or ideas, often in design or fashion (e.g., "modern architecture" emphasizes innovation similar to contemporary).
• Current – Refers to something happening now, with a focus on timeliness (e.g., "current events" parallels contemporary issues in news contexts).

Antonyms:

• Ancient – Describes something from the distant past, contrasting with contemporary's modernity (e.g., "ancient history" vs. "contemporary affairs").
• Outdated – Implies obsolescence, directly opposing contemporary's relevance (e.g., "outdated technology" in tech discussions).

Common Collocations:

• Contemporary art – Refers to modern visual arts, often used in cultural critiques (e.g., in galleries or museums).
• Contemporary music – Describes current genres like pop or electronic, popular in entertainment contexts.

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

Cultural Background:

• Cultural Point 1: In Thai culture, "ร่วมสมัย" reflects the fusion of traditional Thai elements with global influences, as seen in contemporary Thai art and festivals like the Bangkok Art Biennale. This highlights Thailand's adaptation to globalization while preserving heritage, making the word a bridge between old and new in SEO-rich cultural content.

Usage Habits:

• Habit 1: "ร่วมสมัย" is frequently used in urban and educated circles, especially among younger Thais and in media, due to its association with trends. It's popular in social media and advertising, applicable to groups like artists and professionals, with high frequency in online searches for "contemporary Thai culture."

Grammar Explanation

Grammatical Function: "Contemporary" primarily functions as an adjective, describing nouns (e.g., "contemporary art") as either attributive (before the noun) or predicative (after a linking verb, like "The art is contemporary"). It can rarely act as a noun in phrases like "the contemporaries," referring to people of the same era.

Tense and Voice: As an adjective, "contemporary" does not change with tense but adapts to sentence voice. In active voice, it modifies subjects directly (e.g., "Contemporary methods improve efficiency"). In passive voice, it can describe objects (e.g., "Efficiency is improved by contemporary methods"). It remains invariant across tenses, focusing on timeless relevance.

References

Etymology and History:

The word "contemporary" originates from the Latin "contemporaneus," combining "con-" (together) and "temporaneus" (of time), evolving through Middle English to mean "belonging to the same time." Historically, it gained prominence during the Renaissance to describe coexisting events, and in modern usage, it signifies current trends, as seen in 20th-century art movements.

Literary References:

• From Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway": "The world has raised its contemporary standards." This quote illustrates how "contemporary" denotes societal evolution, sourced from modernist literature.
• From Haruki Murakami's "Kafka on the Shore": "In contemporary Japan, dreams and reality blur." Here, it highlights cultural intersections, popular in global literary analyses.