Main Translations

English: cry

Thai: ร้องไห้ (rong hai)

Phonetic: rawng-hai (using Romanization for easy pronunciation)

Detailed Explanation: The word "cry" as a verb primarily means to produce tears and sounds due to strong emotions like sadness, pain, or joy. In Thai, "ร้องไห้" is the most common translation and carries similar emotional connotations. It is used in everyday scenarios to express grief, frustration, or even happiness (e.g., crying tears of joy). Semantically, it emphasizes the physical act of weeping, often with an emotional release, and is nuanced by context—such as cultural norms where crying might be seen as a cathartic or socially acceptable response to loss. This translation is versatile and appears in both formal and informal settings, making it a staple in Thai language learning for SEO keywords like "cry meaning in Thai."

Thai: น้ำตาไหล (nam ta lai)

Phonetic: num-taa-lye

Detailed Explanation: As a secondary translation, "น้ำตาไหล" literally means "tears flow" and is used more descriptively to focus on the physical aspect of crying, such as tears streaming down the face. It conveys a sense of involuntary emotional overflow, often in poignant or heartfelt situations. Unlike "ร้องไห้," which includes vocal sounds, this phrase highlights the visual element of tears. Emotionally, it can imply vulnerability or deep sorrow, and it's commonly used in literature or storytelling. For SEO purposes, this nuance helps in searches for "cry in Thai culture" by showing how Thai language differentiates emotional expressions based on context.

Overview of Usage Scenarios

The word "cry" (and its Thai translations) is primarily used to describe emotional expressions involving tears and sounds. Common scenarios include personal distress (e.g., grief or pain), joyful moments (e.g., weddings), and even metaphorical uses in business or formal settings (e.g., "crying out for help"). In Thai culture, it often appears in interpersonal communication, literature, and media, reflecting emotional depth. This versatility makes it relevant for SEO-optimized content like "cry usage examples."

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

Business Scenario

English: The employee began to cry during the meeting after receiving the bad news about the layoffs.

Thai: พนักงานเริ่มร้องไห้ระหว่างการประชุมหลังจากได้รับข่าวร้ายเกี่ยวกับการปลดพนักงาน (Phanakng siang rawng-hai ben taang gaan bpra-chum lang jaak rap khaw rai waang gap gaan bplid phanakng).

Grammatical Breakdown: "The employee" (subject, noun phrase) + "began to cry" (verb phrase in past tense) + "during the meeting" (prepositional phrase) + "after receiving" (subordinate clause). In Thai, "พนักงาน" is the subject, "เริ่มร้องไห้" is the verb, and "หลังจากได้รับ" is a temporal clause.

Structural Analysis: This sentence follows a simple subject-verb-object structure in English, with a dependent clause for additional context. In Thai, it's topic-comment based, emphasizing the emotional trigger, which is common in business discussions for SEO topics like "cry in professional settings."

Leisure Scenario

English: We all started to cry with laughter while watching the comedy show.

Thai: เราเริ่มร้องไห้ด้วยเสียงหัวเราะขณะที่ดูโชว์คอมเมดี้ (Rao siang rawng-hai duay siang hua-rao kha-sang thi du show kam-meh-dee).

Grammatical Breakdown: "We all" (subject) + "started to cry" (verb phrase) + "with laughter" (prepositional phrase) + "while watching" (subordinate clause). In Thai, "เรา" is the subject, "เริ่มร้องไห้" is the verb, and "ด้วยเสียงหัวเราะ" adds an adverbial modifier.

Structural Analysis: The sentence uses a compound structure to contrast emotions (crying from joy), which is typical in casual Thai speech. This highlights cultural nuances for SEO searches like "cry in everyday Thai conversations."

Formal Occasion

English: The speaker made everyone cry with his emotional tribute at the ceremony.

Thai: ผู้พูดทำให้ทุกคนร้องไห้ด้วยคำสดุดีที่รู้สึกอารมณ์ที่พิธี (Phu phut tham hai took kon rawng-hai duay kham sà-doo-dee thi ruu seuk aa-rom thi phi-thee).

Grammatical Breakdown: "The speaker" (subject) + "made everyone cry" (verb phrase with object) + "with his emotional tribute" (prepositional phrase) + "at the ceremony" (locative phrase). In Thai, "ผู้พูด" is the subject, "ทำให้...ร้องไห้" is the causative verb structure.

Structural Analysis: This employs a causative construction, showing influence on emotions, which is formal in both languages. It's useful for SEO in contexts like "cry in formal Thai events."

Informal Occasion

English: I can't help but cry every time I watch that sad movie with my friends.

Thai: ฉันไม่สามารถไม่ร้องไห้ทุกครั้งที่ดูหนังเศร้านั้นกับเพื่อน (Chan mai sǎa-mârt mài rawng-hai took khrang thi du nang sà-ràa nan gùp pêuuan).

Grammatical Breakdown: "I" (subject) + "can't help but cry" (idiomatic verb phrase) + "every time" (adverbial phrase) + "I watch" (subordinate clause). In Thai, "ฉัน" is the subject, "ไม่สามารถไม่ร้องไห้" is a double negative for emphasis.

Structural Analysis: The informal tone uses repetition for emphasis, common in casual Thai, aligning with SEO for "cry in informal Thai scenarios."

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

Declarative Sentence

English: She cries when she's upset.

Thai: เธอร้องไห้เมื่อเธอรู้สึกไม่สบายใจ (Ther rawng-hai muea ther ruu seuk mâi sà-bai jai).

Grammatical Breakdown: "She" (subject) + "cries" (verb, present tense) + "when she's upset" (subordinate clause). In Thai, "เธอ" is subject, "ร้องไห้" is verb.

Structural Analysis: Straightforward subject-verb structure, ideal for basic learning in SEO contexts like "cry declarative sentences."

Interrogative Sentence

English: Do you cry easily during emotional movies?

Thai: คุณร้องไห้ง่ายๆ ระหว่างดูหนังอารมณ์ไหม (Khun rawng-hai ngaai-ngaa baang taang du nang aa-rom my?).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Do you" (auxiliary verb + subject) + "cry easily" (verb phrase) + "during emotional movies" (prepositional phrase). In Thai, "คุณร้องไห้ง่ายๆ" is the main clause, ending with "ไหม" for questioning.

Structural Analysis: Question word order inverts for inquiry, common in Thai for emotional discussions, relevant for "cry interrogative examples."

Imperative Sentence

English: Don't cry over spilled milk; let's move on.

Thai: อย่าร้องไห้เพราะน้ำหก; ไปต่อกันเถอะ (Yàa rawng-hai proh nám hòk; bpai dtoh gan thoe).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Don't cry" (imperative verb with negation) + "over spilled milk" (idiomatic phrase). In Thai, "อย่าร้องไห้" is the command.

Structural Analysis: Direct command structure, used for advice in Thai, fitting SEO for "cry imperative usage."

Exclamatory Sentence

English: How I cry every time I hear that song!

Thai: ช่างน่าเศร้าที่ฉันร้องไห้ทุกครั้งที่ได้ยินเพลงนั้น! (Cháng nâa sà-ràa thi chan rawng-hai took khrang thi dai yin pleeng nan!)

Grammatical Breakdown: "How I cry" (exclamatory phrase) + "every time" (adverbial). In Thai, "ช่างน่าเศร้า" adds exclamation.

Structural Analysis: Exaggeration for emphasis, culturally expressive in Thai, useful for "cry exclamatory sentences."

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

Simple Sentence

English: Babies cry when hungry.

Thai: เด็กทารกร้องไห้เมื่อหิว (Dèk taa-rók rawng-hai muea hiw).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Babies" (subject) + "cry" (verb) + "when hungry" (clause). In Thai, basic subject-verb.

Structural Analysis: Minimal structure for beginners, ideal for SEO in "simple cry sentences."

Intermediate Sentence

English: People often cry in response to strong emotions like sadness or joy.

Thai: ผู้คนมักร้องไห้ตอบสนองต่ออารมณ์ที่เข้มข้นเช่นความเศร้าหรือความสุข (Phu khon mak rawng-hai dtàp sà-nòng tor aa-rom thi khem khon chen khwam sà-ràa rěu khwam sùk).

Grammatical Breakdown: "People" (subject) + "often cry" (adverb + verb) + "in response to" (prepositional phrase). In Thai, multiple clauses for detail.

Structural Analysis: Adds complexity with modifiers, suitable for intermediate learners in "intermediate cry examples."

Complex Sentence

English: Although she tried to hold back, the overwhelming grief made her cry uncontrollably.

Thai: แม้ว่าเธอจะพยายามกลั้นไว้ แต่ความโศกเศร้าที่ท่วมท้นทำให้เธอร้องไห้อย่างควบคุมไม่ได้ (Mae wa ther ja pha-ya-yam glan wái, tae khwam sòk sà-ràa thi tûm tun tham hai ther rawng-hai yaang khwàp khum mâi dai).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Although she tried" (subordinate clause) + "the overwhelming grief made her cry" (main clause). In Thai, conjunctions link ideas.

Structural Analysis: Uses subordination for depth, advanced for SEO in "complex cry sentences."

Related Phrases and Expressions

Synonyms/Near Synonyms:

• Weep – Used for quiet, tearful crying; often more subdued than "cry," e.g., in formal contexts.
• Sob – Implies louder, convulsive crying; in Thai, translated as "สะอื้น" (sà-ùn), emphasizing distress.

Antonyms:

• Laugh – The opposite of crying, indicating joy; in Thai, "หัวเราะ" (hua-rao), used in light-hearted scenarios.
• Smile – A restrained positive emotion; translated as "ยิ้ม" (yim), contrasting emotional release.

Common Collocations:

• Cry out – Means to shout in alarm; in Thai, "ร้องออกมา" (rong òk maa), often in urgent situations.
• Cry tears of joy – Expresses happy crying; in Thai, "ร้องไห้ด้วยความสุข" (rawng-hai duay khwam sùk), common in celebrations.

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

Cultural Background:

• Cultural Point 1: In Thai culture, crying is often viewed as a natural emotional outlet, especially in contexts like funerals or family gatherings, where it signifies deep respect or grief. This aligns with Buddhist influences, emphasizing emotional acceptance, making "cry in Thai culture" a popular SEO topic for cultural learners.

Usage Habits:

• Habit 1: Crying-related words like "ร้องไห้" are frequently used in daily conversations among all age groups, particularly in media and social media. It's more common in informal settings and among women, with high popularity in emotional storytelling, as per SEO data on "cry usage in Thailand."

Grammar Explanation

Grammatical Function: "Cry" functions as a verb (intransitive or transitive, e.g., "cry tears") or noun (e.g., "a cry for help"). In sentences, it often acts as the main verb, describing actions or states.

Tense and Voice: It changes with tenses: present ("cry"), past ("cried"), future ("will cry"). In passive voice, it's less common (e.g., "Tears were cried"), but active voice dominates. In Thai, verbs like "ร้องไห้" don't conjugate for tense; context or time words indicate it.

References

Etymology and History:

The English word "cry" originates from Old French "crier" (to shout), evolving from Latin "quirare" (to complain). In Thai, "ร้องไห้" combines "ร้อง" (to vocalize) and "ไห้" (to weep), reflecting historical influences from Sanskrit and local dialects, as seen in ancient Thai literature.

Literary References:

• From Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet": "I will cry thee here again" – Illustrates emotional pleading. In Thai literature, from "Phra Aphai Mani" by Sunthorn Phu: "ร้องไห้ด้วยความเศร้า" (Cry with sadness), depicting heroic grief.