Main Translations

English: Demerit

Thai: ข้อบกพร่อง (kwaam bok proong)

Phonetic: [kwǎam bòk prôong]

Detailed Explanation: "Demerit" is a noun that refers to a fault, disadvantage, or penalty, often used in contexts like education, performance evaluations, or assessments. It carries a neutral to negative emotional connotation, implying something that detracts from value or worth. For instance, in educational settings, a demerit might be a point deducted for misbehavior. In Thai, "ข้อบกพร่อง" emphasizes flaws or weaknesses in a system, product, or behavior, with semantic nuances highlighting imperfection rather than severe punishment. Usage scenarios include formal reports, critiques, or self-reflection, where it encourages improvement without overly harsh judgment.

Thai: จุดลบ (joot lap)

Phonetic: [jùt làp]

Detailed Explanation: This secondary translation is more specific to point-based systems, such as in schools or games, where "demerit" means a deduction or negative point. It has a mildly negative emotional connotation, often evoking discipline or correction. Semantic nuances include its use in competitive or evaluative environments, like student grading or employee reviews. In Thai culture, "จุดลบ" is commonly applied in hierarchical settings, such as schools or workplaces, to maintain order and motivate better performance, differing from "ข้อบกพร่อง" by focusing on quantifiable penalties rather than general faults.

Overview of Usage Scenarios

"Demerit" is primarily used as a noun in evaluative, disciplinary, or analytical contexts. It appears in educational scenarios (e.g., school punishments), professional settings (e.g., performance reviews), and everyday discussions (e.g., product critiques). The word often conveys a sense of accountability and balance, contrasting with positive attributes like merits. In Thai translations, it adapts to cultural norms where indirect language softens criticism, making it versatile for formal and informal communication.

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

Business Scenario

English: The project proposal has a major demerit in its budgeting section, which could lead to financial risks.

Thai: โครงการเสนอนี้มีข้อบกพร่องหลักในส่วนของงบประมาณ ซึ่งอาจก่อให้เกิดความเสี่ยงทางการเงิน (kwaam bpok proong lák nai sùn khǎwng ngóp prá thaan, sùt tàai gòt hai gèrt khwaam sèuk thang gaan thèung).

Grammatical Breakdown: "The project proposal" (subject, noun phrase) + "has" (verb, present tense) + "a major demerit" (object, noun with adjective modifier) + "in its budgeting section" (prepositional phrase) + "which could lead to financial risks" (relative clause).

Structural Analysis: This is a complex sentence with a main clause and a subordinate clause. "Demerit" functions as a direct object, highlighting a specific flaw in a professional context, emphasizing cause-and-effect relationships for SEO-related business discussions.

Leisure Scenario

English: In the game, receiving a demerit for cheating ruined my chances of winning.

Thai: ในเกมนี้ การได้รับจุดลบเพราะโกงทำให้โอกาสชนะของฉันพัง (nai gêm ní, gaan dây ráp joot lap phrûa gòeng tam hai òkàat chná khǎwng chăn pang).

Grammatical Breakdown: "In the game" (prepositional phrase) + "receiving a demerit" (gerund phrase as subject) + "for cheating" (prepositional phrase) + "ruined" (verb, past tense) + "my chances of winning" (object, noun phrase).

Structural Analysis: This sentence uses a gerund to start, creating a dynamic structure. "Demerit" acts as the object of the gerund, illustrating casual, recreational use where penalties affect outcomes, making it relatable for leisure-related SEO queries.

Formal Occasion

English: During the annual review, the manager highlighted the demerit in the team's punctuality record.

Thai: ในระหว่างการทบทวนประจำปี ผู้จัดการได้เน้นย้ำถึงข้อบกพร่องในบันทึกการตรงเวลาของทีม (nai bàai gaan thùt bpen prá jam pîi, pûu jà nâa dâi nén yam thǔng kwaam bok proong nai ban thùk gaan drong wela khǎwng thîm).

Grammatical Breakdown: "During the annual review" (prepositional phrase) + "the manager" (subject) + "highlighted" (verb, past tense) + "the demerit" (object) + "in the team's punctuality record" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: A simple sentence with embedded phrases, where "demerit" serves as the direct object. This formal structure underscores professional critique, optimizing for SEO in corporate language learning.

Informal Occasion

English: I got a demerit for being late again—it's so annoying!

Thai: ฉันได้รับจุดลบเพราะมาสายอีกแล้ว—น่ารำคาญจริงๆ! (chăn dây ráp joot lap phrûa maa săai ìk láew—nâa ram khaan jing-jing!).

Grammatical Breakdown: "I" (subject) + "got" (verb, past tense) + "a demerit" (object) + "for being late again" (prepositional phrase) + "—it's so annoying!" (exclamatory clause).

Structural Analysis: This compound sentence combines a statement with an exclamation, with "demerit" as the object. It reflects casual conversation, enhancing SEO for everyday language use.

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

Declarative Sentence

English: The student earned a demerit for not completing the homework.

Thai: นักเรียนได้รับจุดลบเพราะไม่ทำการบ้าน (nák rian dây ráp joot lap phrûa mâi tham gaan bâan).

Grammatical Breakdown: "The student" (subject) + "earned" (verb, past tense) + "a demerit" (object) + "for not completing the homework" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: A straightforward declarative structure, where "demerit" is the direct object, ideal for basic explanations in SEO-optimized educational content.

Interrogative Sentence

English: Did you receive a demerit for your mistake in the report?

Thai: คุณได้รับจุดลบเพราะความผิดพลาดในรายงานหรือไม่? (khun dây ráp joot lap phrûa khwaam phit plaad nai ra yohk rûe mâi?).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Did you" (inverted subject-verb for question) + "receive" (verb) + "a demerit" (object) + "for your mistake in the report" (prepositional phrase) + "?" (question mark).

Structural Analysis: An interrogative sentence with "demerit" as the object, promoting interactive SEO for query-based learning.

Imperative Sentence

English: Avoid earning a demerit by double-checking your work.

Thai: หลีกเลี่ยงการได้รับจุดลบโดยการตรวจสอบงานของคุณสองครั้ง (lèek lîang gaan dây ráp joot lap dooi gaan trùt sòp ngan khǎwng khun sǎwng kráng).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Avoid" (imperative verb) + "earning a demerit" (gerund phrase) + "by double-checking your work" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: An imperative command with "demerit" in a gerund form, useful for motivational SEO in advice articles.

Exclamatory Sentence

English: What a demerit that was for forgetting the deadline!

Thai: ช่างเป็นจุดลบที่น่าตกใจสำหรับการลืมกำหนดเวลา! (châang bpen joot lap thî nâa dtòk jìng sàm ràp gaan lûm kam nùt welaa!).

Grammatical Breakdown: "What a demerit" (exclamatory phrase) + "that was" (verb phrase) + "for forgetting the deadline" (prepositional phrase) + "!" (exclamation mark).

Structural Analysis: An exclamatory sentence emphasizing "demerit" for emotional impact, enhancing SEO for expressive language guides.

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

Simple Sentence

English: She got a demerit.

Thai: เธอได้รับจุดลบ (thoeh dây ráp joot lap).

Grammatical Breakdown: "She" (subject) + "got" (verb) + "a demerit" (object).

Structural Analysis: A basic subject-verb-object structure, perfect for beginners in SEO-focused language tutorials.

Intermediate Sentence

English: Due to his repeated errors, he accumulated several demerits on his record.

Thai: เนื่องจากความผิดพลาดซ้ำซ้อน เขาได้รับจุดลบหลายจุดในบันทึกของเขา (nùeng jàak khwaam phit plaad sùap sòhn, kăo dây ráp joot lap lǎai jùt nai ban thùk khǎwng kăo).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Due to his repeated errors" (prepositional phrase) + "he" (subject) + "accumulated" (verb) + "several demerits" (object) + "on his record" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: An intermediate compound structure with "demerits" as the object, suitable for intermediate learners in SEO content.

Complex Sentence

English: Although the team performed well overall, the demerit for poor communication ultimately affected their final evaluation.

Thai: แม้ว่าทีมจะทำได้ดีโดยรวม แต่ข้อบกพร่องเรื่องการสื่อสารก็ส่งผลต่อการประเมินสุดท้าย (mâe wâa thîm jà tham dâi dee dooi ruam, tàe kwaam bok proong rûang gaan sèu sǎan gò sòng phal thùng gaan prá mein sùt thâai).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Although the team performed well overall" (subordinate clause) + "the demerit" (subject of main clause) + "for poor communication" (prepositional phrase) + "ultimately affected" (verb) + "their final evaluation" (object).

Structural Analysis: A complex sentence with clauses, where "demerit" links ideas, ideal for advanced SEO in detailed language analyses.

Related Phrases and Expressions

Synonyms/Near Synonyms:

• Fault – Used to describe a specific error or weakness, often in technical contexts (e.g., "The fault in the design led to failure").
• Flaw – Similar to demerit but implies an inherent defect, commonly in creative or product reviews (e.g., "The flaw in the story made it less engaging").

Antonyms:

• Merit – Refers to a positive quality or achievement, contrasting demerit's negativity (e.g., "Her merits outweighed her demerits").
• Advantage – Highlights benefits, opposite in evaluative scenarios (e.g., "The advantage of the plan was clear despite its demerits").

Common Collocations:

• Earn a demerit – Implies actively acquiring a penalty through actions (e.g., "Students earn a demerit for tardiness").
• List of demerits – Used in formal assessments to catalog faults (e.g., "The report included a list of demerits for improvement").

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

Cultural Background:

• Cultural Point 1: In Western educational systems, demerits originated from merit-based discipline in 19th-century schools, symbolizing a balance between reward and punishment. In Thai culture, similar concepts appear in "merit-making" traditions (e.g., Buddhist practices), but demerits are less emphasized, with a focus on harmony and indirect correction to avoid confrontation.

Usage Habits:

• Habit 1: Demerit is frequently used in formal or institutional settings like schools and workplaces, popular among educators and managers. In Thailand, it's more common in urban, educated groups due to Western influences, with everyday usage being less frequent to maintain "face" or social harmony.

Grammar Explanation

Grammatical Function: "Demerit" primarily functions as a countable noun, serving as a subject, object, or part of a phrase (e.g., subject in "A demerit affected the outcome"). It can also be modified by adjectives (e.g., "major demerit").

Tense and Voice: As a noun, it doesn't change with tense, but verbs around it do (e.g., "earned a demerit" in past tense). In passive voice, it might appear as "A demerit was given for the error," emphasizing the action rather than the doer.

References

Etymology and History:

The word "demerit" derives from Latin "de-" (meaning "away from") and "meritum" (meaning "deserving"), evolving in English during the 15th century to denote a loss of worth. Historically, it gained prominence in educational reforms of the 19th century, such as in British boarding schools, and has since spread globally for performance evaluations.

Literary References:

• From J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone": "Slytherin lost a demerit for that outburst," illustrating demerits in a magical school system. This reference highlights discipline in youth literature.
• In George Orwell's "1984": The concept of demerits parallels surveillance and penalties, though not directly used, emphasizing themes of control in dystopian works.