Main Translations

English: Credibility

Thai: ความน่าเชื่อถือ (Kwahm nâa chûuea thuuea)

Phonetic: Kwahm nâa chûuea thuuea (The Roman phonetic is based on standard Thai pronunciation, where "kwahm" sounds like "kwam" with a falling tone, "nâa" like "naa" with a rising tone, and "chûuea thuuea" like "chuea thuuea" with mid tones.)

Detailed Explanation: "ความน่าเชื่อถือ" primarily translates to the quality of being believable, trustworthy, or reliable. It is commonly used in contexts involving trust in information, people, or institutions. For instance, in professional settings, it conveys emotional connotations of respect and dependability, while semantically, it nuances the idea of evidence-based trust rather than blind faith. Usage scenarios include journalism, business, and personal relationships, where a lack of credibility can lead to skepticism or loss of influence.

Thai: ชื่อเสียง (Chûuea sĕeang)

Phonetic: Chûuea sĕeang (Pronounced with a mid tone on "chûuea" like "chuea" and a rising tone on "sĕeang.")

Detailed Explanation: This secondary translation emphasizes reputation or public perception, which is closely related to credibility but with a broader semantic nuance. It often carries emotional connotations of social status and honor in Thai culture. Usage scenarios include evaluating public figures or brands, where "ชื่อเสียง" might imply long-term trustworthiness influenced by societal norms. Unlike "ความน่าเชื่อถือ," it can sometimes highlight external validation over intrinsic qualities.

Overview of Usage Scenarios

Credibility is a noun that primarily appears in contexts requiring trust and reliability, such as professional evaluations, media consumption, and interpersonal interactions. It is used to assess the believability of sources, arguments, or individuals. Common scenarios include business (e.g., corporate ethics), leisure (e.g., product reviews), formal occasions (e.g., academic debates), and informal settings (e.g., casual conversations). Its usage often involves critical thinking and can vary by cultural context, making it essential in persuasive communication.

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

Business Scenario

English: The company's credibility was questioned after the financial scandal.

Thai: ความน่าเชื่อถือของบริษัทถูกตั้งคำถามหลังจากเรื่องอื้อฉาวทางการเงิน (Kwahm nâa chûuea thuuea khǎawng baan nak thuuk dtâng kham tham lăng jàak ruueang aue chao taw gaan gin).

Grammatical Breakdown: "The company's credibility" is the subject (noun phrase); "was questioned" is the verb phrase in passive voice; "after the financial scandal" is a prepositional phrase acting as an adverbial modifier.

Structural Analysis: This sentence follows a subject-verb-object structure in English, emphasizing cause and effect. In Thai, it uses a topic-comment structure, which is common for clarity in business discussions, highlighting the impact on reputation.

Leisure Scenario

English: I only watch movies from directors with strong credibility in the industry.

Thai: ฉันดูหนังเฉพาะผู้กำกับที่มีความน่าเชื่อถือสูงในวงการ (Chăn doo nǎng jeb pûu kam gàp tii mii kwahm nâa chûuea thuuea sǔung nai wong gaan).

Grammatical Breakdown: "I only watch" is the subject-verb phrase; "movies from directors" is a prepositional phrase; "with strong credibility" is an adjective phrase modifying "directors."

Structural Analysis: The sentence uses a restrictive clause for specificity, common in leisure contexts to express personal preferences. In Thai, the structure prioritizes the main action, making it conversational and relatable.

Formal Occasion

English: The expert's credibility enhances the validity of the research findings.

Thai: ความน่าเชื่อถือของผู้เชี่ยวชาญช่วยเพิ่มความถูกต้องของผลการวิจัย (Kwahm nâa chûuea thuuea khǎawng pûu chîao chaan chûu pûueng kwaam tûuk dtàwng khǎawng plaaw gaan wí jai).

Grammatical Breakdown: "The expert's credibility" is a possessive noun phrase; "enhances the validity" is the verb phrase; "of the research findings" is a prepositional phrase.

Structural Analysis: This declarative sentence builds logical flow, typical in formal writing. Thai translation maintains a parallel structure, emphasizing hierarchical relationships in academic or professional discourse.

Informal Occasion

English: That influencer's credibility is pretty low after all the fake posts.

Thai: ชื่อเสียงของอินฟลูเอนเซอร์คนนั้นต่ำลงมากหลังจากโพสต์ปลอม (Chûuea sĕeang khǎawng in-flue-en-ser khon nán dtàhm lohn mâak lăng jàak bpôhst bpâwm).

Grammatical Breakdown: "That influencer's credibility" is the subject; "is pretty low" is the predicate adjective; "after all the fake posts" is an adverbial phrase.

Structural Analysis: Informal English uses casual modifiers like "pretty low," while Thai employs everyday language for relatability, often in social media discussions.

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

Declarative Sentence

English: Social media can damage a person's credibility quickly.

Thai: สื่อสังคมออนไลน์สามารถทำลายความน่าเชื่อถือของบุคคลได้อย่างรวดเร็ว (Sĕua sǎng khǎwm online sǎa mǔd tham laai kwahm nâa chûuea thuuea khǎawng baawk khon dâi yàang ràw dèu).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Social media" is the subject; "can damage" is the modal verb phrase; "a person's credibility quickly" is the object and adverb.

Structural Analysis: This straightforward structure states a fact, ideal for educational contexts. Thai mirrors this with a subject-verb-object order for emphasis.

Interrogative Sentence

English: How can we assess the credibility of online sources?

Thai: เราจะประเมินความน่าเชื่อถือของแหล่งข้อมูลออนไลน์ได้อย่างไร (Rao jà bpra-meun kwahm nâa chûuea thuuea khǎawng แหล่งข้อมูลออนไลน์ dâi yàang rai).

Grammatical Breakdown: "How can we assess" is the interrogative phrase; "the credibility of online sources" is the object.

Structural Analysis: Questions like this promote inquiry, with Thai using question words at the end for natural flow in conversations.

Imperative Sentence

English: Build your credibility by being honest in all interactions.

Thai: สร้างความน่าเชื่อถือของคุณด้วยการซื่อสัตย์ในทุกการติดต่อ (Sà-ng kwahm nâa chûuea thuuea khǎawng kun dûuay gaan sǔue sàt nai túk gaan dtìt dtàw).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Build your credibility" is the command; "by being honest" is a prepositional phrase.

Structural Analysis: Imperatives motivate action; Thai structures it as advice, common in motivational speeches.

Exclamatory Sentence

English: What a loss of credibility that statement caused!

Thai: ช่างเป็นการสูญเสียความน่าเชื่อถืออย่างมหาศาล! (Châang bpen gaan sǔun sîa kwahm nâa chûuea thuuea yàang má hǎa sǎan!)

Grammatical Breakdown: "What a loss" is the exclamatory phrase; "of credibility that statement caused" is the object clause.

Structural Analysis: Exclamations convey emotion; Thai uses particles for emphasis, enhancing dramatic effect.

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

Simple Sentence

English: Credibility matters in business.

Thai: ความน่าเชื่อถือสำคัญในธุรกิจ (Kwahm nâa chûuea thuuea sǎa mùn nai Gini sùt).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Credibility" is the subject; "matters" is the verb; "in business" is the prepositional phrase.

Structural Analysis: Basic subject-verb structure for beginners; Thai keeps it concise.

Intermediate Sentence

English: Without credibility, it's hard to gain trust from customers.

Thai: โดยปราศจากความน่าเชื่อถือ มันยากที่จะได้รับความเชื่อถือจากลูกค้า (Dooi bpàat jàak kwahm nâa chûuea thuuea, man yâak tîi jà dâi ráp kwahm chûuea thuuea jàak lûuk khaa).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Without credibility" is a prepositional phrase; "it's hard to gain trust" is the main clause.

Structural Analysis: Introduces dependency; Thai uses conjunctions for logical progression.

Complex Sentence

English: Although the report has some credibility, its overall impact is diminished by conflicting data.

Thai: แม้ว่ารายงานจะมีความน่าเชื่อถือบางส่วน แต่ผลกระทบโดยรวมถูกลดลงด้วยข้อมูลที่ขัดแย้ง (Mâe wâa raai bòrn jà mii kwahm nâa chûuea thuuea bâang sùn, tîe plaaw grà thàp dooi rum thuuk lùt lohn dûuay chùu mùu tîi khàt yàeng).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Although the report has some credibility" is a subordinate clause; "its overall impact is diminished" is the main clause.

Structural Analysis: Uses concessive clauses for nuance; Thai employs connectors for balanced expression.

Related Phrases and Expressions

Synonyms/Near Synonyms:

• Reliability – Used to describe consistent dependability, often in mechanical or professional contexts, e.g., "The reliability of the data supports the argument."
• Trustworthiness – Emphasizes moral integrity, common in personal relationships, e.g., "Her trustworthiness makes her a credible leader."

Antonyms:

• Incredibility – Refers to something unbelievable or lacking trust, e.g., "The incredibility of his story raised doubts."
• Unreliability – Highlights inconsistency, often in evaluations, e.g., "The unreliability of the source undermines its credibility."

Common Collocations:

• Establish credibility – Means building trust over time, e.g., "Experts establish credibility through rigorous research."
• Lose credibility – Indicates a decline in trust, e.g., "Politicians can lose credibility with one mistake."

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

Cultural Background:

• Cultural Point 1: In Western cultures, credibility is often linked to evidence and transparency, as seen in democratic institutions. In Thai culture, it intertwines with "face" (saving honor), where personal or familial reputation plays a larger role, influencing usage in social hierarchies.

Usage Habits:

• Habit 1: Credibility is frequently used in formal Thai contexts like media and education, with high frequency among professionals and students. It is less common in casual speech but popular in online discussions, applicable to urban demographics due to globalization.

Grammar Explanation

Grammatical Function: "Credibility" functions as a countable or uncountable noun, often serving as a subject, object, or complement in sentences (e.g., subject in "Credibility is key"). It can modify other nouns in phrases like "credibility crisis."

Tense and Voice: As a noun, "credibility" does not change with tenses. However, it appears in various verb constructions, such as passive voice (e.g., "Credibility was established"), where the focus shifts to the action affecting it.

References

Etymology and History:

The word "credibility" originates from the Latin "credibilitas," derived from "credere," meaning "to believe." It evolved in English during the 16th century, initially in religious contexts, and expanded to modern usage in the 19th century with the rise of journalism and science, emphasizing evidence-based trust.

Literary References:

• In George Orwell's "1984," credibility is questioned through propaganda: "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." (Source: George Orwell, 1949) – This highlights how credibility can be manipulated in authoritarian settings.
• In Thai literature, such as in the works of Saneh Sangsuk, credibility is explored in social critiques, e.g., "The village elder's words held credibility because they were rooted in tradition." (Adapted from Thai folk narratives, emphasizing cultural trust dynamics.)