Main Translations

English: Dangerous

Thai: อันตราย (An-tha-rai)

Phonetic: ahn-thah-rye (The phonetic transcription uses a simplified Romanization for ease of pronunciation, with emphasis on the second syllable.)

Detailed Explanation: อันตราย is the primary Thai translation of "dangerous" and is commonly used to describe situations, objects, or actions that pose a risk of harm, injury, or negative consequences. It carries emotional connotations of urgency and caution, often evoking fear or a need for immediate action. For instance, in everyday scenarios, it might warn about physical dangers like traffic or natural disasters. Semantically, it emphasizes potential threats rather than actual harm, making it versatile in contexts like safety advisories or risk assessments. In Thai culture, this word is frequently paired with verbs to heighten awareness, such as in public announcements or personal advice.

Thai: เสี่ยงภัย (Seung-phai)

Phonetic: seung-phye (Pronounced with a rising tone on the first syllable, indicating risk or adventure.)

Detailed Explanation: เสี่ยงภัย serves as a secondary translation, often implying a more adventurous or calculated risk, such as in exploratory or thrill-seeking activities. It has emotional connotations of excitement mixed with peril, differing from อันตราย by suggesting voluntary exposure to danger (e.g., extreme sports). Semantically, it highlights the element of chance and potential reward, making it suitable for contexts like travel or business ventures. In Thai usage, this phrase is less formal and more narrative-driven, often appearing in stories or motivational contexts to convey heroism or folly.

Overview of Usage Scenarios

The word "dangerous" is an adjective primarily used to denote situations, objects, or behaviors that could lead to harm, injury, or adverse outcomes. In English and Thai, it appears across various contexts, including everyday conversations, professional settings, and warnings. Common usage scenarios include describing physical risks (e.g., hazardous environments), emotional threats (e.g., toxic relationships), and abstract dangers (e.g., financial risks). Its application varies by formality and cultural context, with Thai translations like อันตราย emphasizing caution in hierarchical or community-oriented societies.

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

Business Scenario

English: Investing in that volatile stock is dangerous without proper research.

Thai: การลงทุนในหุ้นที่ผันผวนนั้นอันตรายหากไม่มีการวิจัยที่ถูกต้อง (Kan long-tun nai hook tee phan-phuan nan an-tha-rai haak mai mee kan wi-chah tee took-tong).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Investing" is a gerund acting as the subject; "in that volatile stock" is a prepositional phrase modifying "investing"; "is dangerous" is the predicate with "dangerous" as an adjective describing the action; "without proper research" is an adverbial phrase indicating condition.

Structural Analysis: This sentence follows a subject-verb-complement structure, common in business English for advisory tones. In Thai, the structure is topic-comment, starting with the action (การลงทุน) and ending with the condition, which enhances clarity in formal contexts.

Leisure Scenario

English: Swimming in the ocean during a storm is dangerous and unpredictable.

Thai: การว่ายน้ำในมหาสมุทรตอนพายุนั้นอันตรายและคาดเดาไม่ได้ (Kan waay-num nai mahah-sumut dton pa-yu nan an-tha-rai lae khat-dao mai dai).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Swimming" is a gerund as the subject; "in the ocean during a storm" is a prepositional phrase; "is dangerous and unpredictable" uses adjectives to describe the subject, connected by "and" for coordination.

Structural Analysis: The sentence employs a simple declarative structure to build tension, suitable for leisure warnings. In Thai, the use of connectors like "และ" (and) maintains flow, reflecting a conversational style often used in casual advice.

Formal Occasion

English: The use of untested chemicals in laboratories is considered dangerous by experts.

Thai: การใช้สารเคมีที่ยังไม่ผ่านการทดสอบในห้องปฏิบัติการถือว่าเป็นอันตรายโดยผู้เชี่ยวชาญ (Kan chai sa-keh-mee tee yang mai phan kan tud-sop nai haung pati-bat kan thu wa pen an-tha-rai doi puu chiao-cha-chn).

Grammatical Breakdown: "The use of" is a noun phrase as subject; "is considered" is a passive-like construction; "dangerous by experts" includes an adjective and prepositional phrase for attribution.

Structural Analysis: This formal sentence uses passive voice for objectivity. In Thai, the structure prioritizes the main clause with embedded details, aligning with formal Thai rhetoric that values precision in professional settings.

Informal Occasion

English: That old bridge looks dangerous; let's find another way.

Thai: สะพานเก่านั้นดูอันตรายเลย ไปหาทางอื่นดีกว่า (Sa-phan geo nan du an-tha-rai loey pai haa thang eun dee gwa).

Grammatical Breakdown: "That old bridge" is the subject; "looks dangerous" is the predicate with an adjective; "let's find another way" is an imperative suggestion.

Structural Analysis: The sentence mixes declarative and imperative elements for informal persuasion. In Thai, particles like "เลย" add emphasis, making it conversational and relatable in everyday interactions.

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

Declarative Sentence

English: Climbing the mountain without gear is dangerous.

Thai: การปีนเขาลูกนั้นโดยปราศจากอุปกรณ์อันตราย (Kan peen khao luk nan doi prasat jaak up-keh-run an-tha-rai).

Grammatical Breakdown: Subject: "Climbing the mountain without gear"; Verb: "is"; Adjective: "dangerous".

Structural Analysis: Straightforward subject-verb-object structure for stating facts. Thai mirrors this with a topic-focus arrangement for clarity.

Interrogative Sentence

English: Is driving in heavy rain really that dangerous?

Thai: การขับรถในฝนตกหนักนั้นอันตรายจริงหรือ? (Kan khap rot nai fon dtok nak nan an-tha-rai jing ru?).

Grammatical Breakdown: Subject: "driving in heavy rain"; Verb: "is"; Question word: "Is...really that dangerous?"

Structural Analysis: Inversion of subject and auxiliary verb for questions. Thai uses rising intonation via "หรือ?" to seek confirmation, common in discussions.

Imperative Sentence

English: Avoid that dangerous path immediately!

Thai: หลีกเลี่ยงเส้นทางอันตรายนั้นทันที! (Leek leeng sen taang an-tha-rai nan tan-tee!).

Grammatical Breakdown: Imperative verb: "Avoid"; Object: "that dangerous path"; Adverb: "immediately".

Structural Analysis: Direct command structure. Thai employs exclamation for urgency, enhancing the directive tone.

Exclamatory Sentence

English: How dangerous that situation was!

Thai: มันอันตรายมากเลย! (Man an-tha-rai mak loey!).

Grammatical Breakdown: Exclamatory phrase: "How dangerous"; Subject: "that situation".

Structural Analysis: Emphasizes emotion through exclamation. Thai uses intensifiers like "มาก" for dramatic effect in emotional expressions.

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

Simple Sentence

English: Fire is dangerous.

Thai: ไฟอันตราย (Fai an-tha-rai).

Grammatical Breakdown: Subject: "Fire"; Predicate: "is dangerous" (adjective).

Structural Analysis: Basic subject-predicate form for beginners.

Intermediate Sentence

English: The dangerous animal escaped from the zoo.

Thai: สัตว์อันตรายหลุดออกจากสวนสัตว์ (Sat an-tha-rai lut ork jaak suan sat).

Grammatical Breakdown: Subject: "The dangerous animal"; Verb: "escaped"; Prepositional phrase: "from the zoo".

Structural Analysis: Introduces complexity with modifiers and past tense.

Complex Sentence

English: Although it seems exciting, skydiving can be dangerous if safety protocols are not followed.

Thai: แม้ว่ามันจะดูน่าตื่นเต้นแต่การโดดร่มอาจอันตรายหากไม่ปฏิบัติตามกฎความปลอดภัย (Ma wa man ja du naa dteun-dten tae kan dod rom aat an-tha-rai haak mai patibat tam got khwam plod-pai).

Grammatical Breakdown: Subordinate clause: "Although it seems exciting"; Main clause: "skydiving can be dangerous if...".

Structural Analysis: Uses conjunctions for subordination, ideal for advanced contexts.

Related Phrases and Expressions

Synonyms/Near Synonyms:

• Hazardous – Often used interchangeably with "dangerous" in professional contexts, such as safety reports, to indicate potential risks (e.g., hazardous materials).
• Perilous – Conveys a sense of extreme danger, with more dramatic connotations, as in perilous journeys or situations.

Antonyms:

• Safe – Directly opposes "dangerous" by implying no risk, commonly used in contexts like safe environments or products.
• Secure – Refers to protection from danger, often in emotional or physical security contexts, such as secure homes.

Common Collocations:

• Dangerous situation – Used to describe high-risk scenarios, like a dangerous situation in a conflict zone, emphasizing urgency.
• Dangerous animal – Refers to wildlife that poses threats, such as a dangerous animal in the wild, highlighting natural hazards.

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

Cultural Background:

• Cultural Point 1: In Thai culture, words like อันตราย are deeply tied to community safety and Buddhist principles of mindfulness. For example, during festivals or natural events, warnings about dangerous activities reinforce social harmony and collective well-being, reflecting Thailand's emphasis on "sanuk" (fun) balanced with caution to avoid "khwam jing" (suffering).

Usage Habits:

• Habit 1: อันตราย is frequently used in daily conversations among all age groups, especially in urban areas with high traffic or tourism. It is popular in media and public signs for its straightforwardness, appearing more often in informal settings than formal ones, with higher frequency in risk-prone regions like Bangkok.

Grammar Explanation

Grammatical Function: "Dangerous" functions as an adjective, modifying nouns (e.g., dangerous road) or acting as a predicate complement (e.g., The task is dangerous). In Thai, อันตราย serves a similar role, often placed before the noun it describes for emphasis.

Tense and Voice: As an adjective, "dangerous" does not change with tense; it remains invariant. Voice is not applicable since it's not a verb. However, in sentences, it can appear in passive constructions (e.g., The area was deemed dangerous), where the focus shifts to the state of being.

References

Etymology and History:

The word "dangerous" originates from the Old French "dangier," meaning "power to harm" or "dominion," evolving from Latin "dominus" (lord or master). By the 14th century, it entered English to denote peril. In Thai, อันตราย derives from Sanskrit "antara" (internal) and "raya" (enemy), symbolizing hidden threats, and has been in use since the Ayutthaya period for warnings in literature and governance.

Literary References:

• From William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" (Act 2, Scene 2): "Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once." Here, "dangerous" is implied in themes of risk, showcasing its use in dramatic contexts.
• In modern Thai literature, from Sutham Phongsathorn's novel "The Dangerous Game": "เส้นทางอันตรายนำไปสู่ชัยชนะ" (The dangerous path leads to victory), illustrating peril in personal growth narratives.