Main Translations

English: Cowardly

Thai: ขี้ขลาด

Phonetic: Kee khlaat (pronounced with a short "ee" sound as in "key" and a soft "khlaat" like "klat" in "flat").

Detailed Explanation: The word "cowardly" is an adjective used to describe behavior or actions that show a lack of courage, especially in situations involving danger, conflict, or moral dilemmas. It carries a strongly negative emotional connotation, implying weakness, fearfulness, and a failure to act boldly. In usage scenarios, it often appears in criticisms, narratives, or discussions about personal character. For instance, in English-speaking cultures, calling someone "cowardly" might evoke disappointment or disdain, as it contrasts with societal values of bravery. In Thai, "ขี้ขลาด" shares similar nuances, emphasizing timidity and is commonly used in everyday conversations, literature, or media to highlight someone's avoidance of responsibility or risk. This term is versatile and can apply to individuals, actions, or decisions, making it a key word in moral or ethical discussions.

Thai: กลัวเกรง

Phonetic: Glua keng (pronounced with a soft "glua" like "glue-ah" and "keng" as in "keng" with a rising tone).

Detailed Explanation: As a secondary translation, "กลัวเกรง" conveys a sense of being overly cautious or fearful, which aligns with "cowardly" but is slightly milder in tone. It focuses on emotional apprehension and hesitation, often in social or relational contexts, rather than outright cowardice. Semantic nuances include a connotation of respect or deference in Thai culture, where showing fear might stem from politeness or humility. However, it can still be negative if used to criticize someone for being excessively timid. This word is less direct than "ขี้ขลาด" and is more common in formal or polite settings, such as in literature or advice columns, highlighting cultural values of harmony and avoidance of confrontation.

Overview of Usage Scenarios

The word "cowardly" is primarily used in scenarios involving criticism of behavior, storytelling, or ethical discussions. It appears in everyday conversations to describe personal traits, in business to critique decision-making, in leisure contexts like movies or books to portray characters, and in formal settings for debates on morality. Common usage involves highlighting a lack of bravery, with emotional connotations of negativity and disappointment. In Thai, translations like "ขี้ขลาด" are equally versatile, often reflecting cultural emphasis on courage in community or family dynamics.

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

Business Scenario

English: The manager's cowardly decision to avoid the confrontation cost the company a major deal.

Thai: การตัดสินใจขี้ขลาดของผู้จัดการในการหลีกเลี่ยงการเผชิญหน้าทำให้บริษัทสูญเสียดีลสำคัญไป

Grammatical Breakdown: "The manager's" (possessive noun phrase) + "cowardly" (adjective modifying "decision") + "decision" (noun) + "to avoid" (infinitive phrase) + "the confrontation" (noun phrase) + "cost" (verb) + "the company" (noun) + "a major deal" (noun phrase).

Structural Analysis: This is a complex sentence with a subject-verb-object structure. "Cowardly" functions as an attributive adjective, emphasizing the negative quality of the decision. The sentence builds cause-and-effect, common in business English, to highlight consequences.

Leisure Scenario

English: In the movie, the hero's cowardly actions at first made the audience boo.

Thai: ในภาพยนตร์นั้น การกระทำขี้ขลาดของวีรบุรุษในตอนแรกทำให้ผู้ชมโห่

Grammatical Breakdown: "In the movie" (prepositional phrase) + "the hero's" (possessive) + "cowardly" (adjective) + "actions" (noun) + "at first" (adverbial phrase) + "made" (verb) + "the audience" (noun) + "boo" (verb).

Structural Analysis: This declarative sentence uses "cowardly" as a pre-modifier for "actions," creating narrative tension. The structure is simple yet engaging for leisure contexts, with a focus on emotional response.

Formal Occasion

English: The speaker described the leader's cowardly retreat as a betrayal of public trust.

Thai: ผู้พูดอธิบายการถอยขี้ขลาดของผู้นำว่าเป็นการทรยศต่อความเชื่อมั่นของสาธารณชน

Grammatical Breakdown: "The speaker" (subject) + "described" (verb) + "the leader's" (possessive) + "cowardly" (adjective) + "retreat" (noun) + "as" (conjunction) + "a betrayal" (noun phrase) + "of public trust" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: A compound sentence where "cowardly" intensifies the noun "retreat." This formal structure uses apposition for emphasis, suitable for speeches or essays.

Informal Occasion

English: Don't be so cowardly; just tell him how you feel!

Thai: อย่าขี้ขลาดขนาดนั้นสิ บอกเขาตรงๆ ไปเลยว่าคุณรู้สึกยังไง!

Grammatical Breakdown: "Don't" (contraction of do not) + "be" (verb) + "so cowardly" (adverb + adjective) + ";" (pause) + "just" (adverb) + "tell" (verb) + "him" (object) + "how you feel" (object clause) + "!" (exclamation).

Structural Analysis: An imperative sentence with "cowardly" as a predicate adjective. The informal tone uses direct address and exclamation for encouragement, common in casual conversations.

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

Declarative Sentence

English: He acted in a cowardly manner during the crisis.

Thai: เขาแสดงพฤติกรรมขี้ขลาดในช่วงวิกฤต

Grammatical Breakdown: "He" (subject) + "acted" (verb) + "in a cowardly manner" (prepositional phrase with adjective).

Structural Analysis: Straightforward subject-verb-object structure; "cowardly" modifies "manner" for descriptive clarity.

Interrogative Sentence

English: Why did you make such a cowardly choice?

Thai: ทำไมคุณถึงเลือกทำในแบบขี้ขลาดเช่นนั้น?

Grammatical Breakdown: "Why" (interrogative adverb) + "did you" (auxiliary + subject) + "make" (verb) + "such a cowardly choice" (adjective + noun).

Structural Analysis: Question form with inversion; "cowardly" adds emotional weight to the inquiry.

Imperative Sentence

English: Stop being cowardly and face your fears!

Thai: หยุดขี้ขลาดและเผชิญหน้ากับความกลัวของคุณซะ!

Grammatical Breakdown: "Stop" (imperative verb) + "being cowardly" (gerund phrase) + "and" (conjunction) + "face" (verb) + "your fears" (possessive noun).

Structural Analysis: Commands urgency; "cowardly" as a complement encourages action.

Exclamatory Sentence

English: How cowardly it was to run away like that!

Thai: มันขี้ขลาดขนาดไหนที่วิ่งหนีไปแบบนั้น!

Grammatical Breakdown: "How" (exclamation starter) + "cowardly" (adjective) + "it was" (subject + verb) + "to run away" (infinitive phrase) + "like that" (adverbial phrase) + "!"

Structural Analysis: Emphasizes emotion; "cowardly" heightens the exclamatory effect.

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

Simple Sentence

English: She was cowardly.

Thai: เธอขี้ขลาด

Grammatical Breakdown: "She" (subject) + "was" (linking verb) + "cowardly" (predicate adjective).

Structural Analysis: Basic subject-verb-adjective structure for beginners.

Intermediate Sentence

English: His cowardly behavior surprised everyone in the group.

Thai: พฤติกรรมขี้ขลาดของเขาทำให้ทุกคนในกลุ่มประหลาดใจ

Grammatical Breakdown: "His" (possessive) + "cowardly" (adjective) + "behavior" (noun) + "surprised" (verb) + "everyone" (object) + "in the group" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: Includes modifiers and objects, building complexity.

Complex Sentence

English: Although he tried to hide it, his cowardly actions during the event revealed his true character.

Thai: แม้ว่าเขาจะพยายามปกปิด แต่การกระทำขี้ขลาดของเขาระหว่างเหตุการณ์ก็เปิดเผยตัวตนที่แท้จริง

Grammatical Breakdown: "Although" (subordinating conjunction) + "he tried to hide it" (dependent clause) + "," + "his cowardly actions" (noun phrase) + "during the event" (prepositional phrase) + "revealed" (verb) + "his true character" (object).

Structural Analysis: Uses subordination for nuance, with "cowardly" as a key descriptor in the main clause.

Related Phrases and Expressions

Synonyms/Near Synonyms:

• Timid – Used to describe someone who is shy or lacking confidence, often in social situations; e.g., "He was too timid to speak up."
• Fearful – Emphasizes being full of fear, similar to cowardly but with a focus on emotion; e.g., "She felt fearful during the storm."

Antonyms:

• Brave – Describes courageous behavior, directly opposing cowardly; e.g., "He acted brave in the face of danger."
• Bold – Implies confidence and willingness to take risks; e.g., "Her bold decision inspired the team."

Common Collocations:

• Cowardly act – Refers to a specific action lacking courage; e.g., "Running away was a cowardly act."
• Cowardly behavior – Describes ongoing patterns of timidity; e.g., "His cowardly behavior alienated his friends."

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

Cultural Background:

• Cultural Point 1: In Western cultures, "cowardly" often ties to historical narratives like battles or heroism, as seen in literature such as Shakespeare's works, where it symbolizes moral failure. In Thai culture, similar concepts appear in folklore and Buddhism, where "ขี้ขลาด" might relate to avoiding karma or conflict, emphasizing balance and non-violence, but still viewed negatively in contexts like national pride or family honor.

Usage Habits:

• Habit 1: "Cowardly" is frequently used in informal settings among younger demographics for criticism, but less so in formal Thai contexts due to cultural politeness; it's popular in media and social media for SEO-driven content like "cowardly examples in movies."

Grammar Explanation

Grammatical Function: "Cowardly" functions primarily as an adjective, modifying nouns (e.g., "cowardly leader") or appearing in predicate position (e.g., "He is cowardly"). It can also intensify descriptions in phrases.

Tense and Voice: As an adjective, "cowardly" does not change with tenses; it remains static. In passive voice constructions, it might describe subjects indirectly, e.g., "The decision was seen as cowardly."

References

Etymology and History:

The word "cowardly" derives from Middle English "coward" (meaning a timid person) combined with the suffix "-ly" to form an adjective. It evolved from Old French "coeard," meaning "tail" (implying a tucked tail like a frightened animal), entering English around the 14th century. Historically, it gained prominence in literature and warfare contexts, reflecting societal emphasis on valor.

Literary References:

• From William Shakespeare's *Henry IV, Part 1*: "Thou art a coward and a fool." – Here, "coward" (related to cowardly) highlights betrayal and fear in a dramatic context.
• From modern literature, in George Orwell's *1984*: "He had been cowardly, but it was not cowardice that had made him confess." – This explores the nuances of fear and morality in a dystopian setting.