Main Translations

English: Detrimental

Thai: เป็นอันตราย (Pen an-taraai)

Phonetic: [Roman Phonetic] - Pen an-taraai (pronounced as "pen" like "pen" in English, "an" as in "an," and "taraai" with a soft "r" sound, similar to "tar-eye").

Detailed Explanation: The word "detrimental" is an adjective used to describe something that causes harm, damage, or negative effects. In English, it often carries a formal tone and is applied in contexts like health, business, or environmental issues. For instance, it implies long-term consequences rather than immediate ones, with emotional connotations of warning or caution. In Thai, "เป็นอันตราย" is commonly used in everyday scenarios, such as health advisories or safety warnings, emphasizing potential risks with a neutral to negative semantic nuance. This translation is versatile and appears in formal reports, news, and educational materials.

Thai: ทำให้เสียหาย (Tham hai sia hai)

Phonetic: [Roman Phonetic] - Tham hai sia hai (pronounced as "tham" like "thumb" without the "b," "hai" as in "high," and "sia hai" with a soft "s" sound, similar to "see-ah high").

Detailed Explanation: As a secondary translation, "ทำให้เสียหาย" focuses on the aspect of causing tangible damage or loss, which aligns with the core meaning of "detrimental." It is often used in legal, environmental, or economic contexts in Thai, with emotional connotations of regret or prevention. Semantically, it highlights the destructive outcome more explicitly than "เป็นอันตราย," making it suitable for scenarios involving property, relationships, or societal impact. This phrase is prevalent in Thai media and official documents, underscoring the word's negative implications.

Overview of Usage Scenarios

"Detrimental" is primarily an adjective used to indicate harmful effects in various contexts, such as health, business, environment, and personal relationships. It appears in formal writing, professional discussions, and advisory content, often to highlight risks or consequences. In Thai translations, it maintains a similar formal tone but is adapted to cultural nuances, like emphasizing community or societal harm. Common usage scenarios include warnings in health campaigns, business risk assessments, and everyday advice, making it a keyword in SEO-optimized content related to "detrimental effects" or "detrimental impacts."

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

Business Scenario

English: Excessive workload can be detrimental to employee productivity.

Thai: งานที่มากเกินไปสามารถเป็นอันตรายต่อประสิทธิภาพของพนักงานได้ (Ngan thi mak geun pai sǎhm-arn pen an-taraai tor prasit-thi-phap khor pan-nak dai).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Excessive" (adjective modifying "workload") describes the intensity; "workload" (noun) is the subject; "can be" (modal verb + linking verb) indicates possibility; "detrimental to" (adjective phrase) shows the relationship; "employee productivity" (noun phrase) is the object affected.

Structural Analysis: This is a declarative sentence with a subject-verb-object structure. "Detrimental" functions as a predicate adjective, emphasizing cause-and-effect in a professional context. The Thai translation mirrors this with a similar S-V-O pattern, using "สามารถ" for modality to enhance SEO relevance in business advice articles.

Leisure Scenario

English: Spending too much time on social media can be detrimental to mental health.

Thai: การใช้เวลามากเกินไปบนโซเชียลมีเดียสามารถทำให้เสียหายต่อสุขภาพจิตได้ (Kan chai wela mak geun pai bon so-shee-al mee-dee-a sǎhm-arn tham hai sia hai tor sùk-kha-phap jit dai).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Spending" (gerund as subject); "too much time" (adverbial phrase); "on social media" (prepositional phrase); "can be detrimental to" (modal verb + adjective phrase); "mental health" (noun phrase as object).

Structural Analysis: This compound sentence uses "can be" to express potential harm, with "detrimental" linking cause to effect. In Thai, the structure employs "การ" for nominalization, making it suitable for leisure-related SEO content like "detrimental effects of social media."

Formal Occasion

English: Climate change is detrimental to global biodiversity.

Thai: การเปลี่ยนแปลงสภาพภูมิอากาศเป็นอันตรายต่อความหลากหลายทางชีวภาพทั่วโลก (Kan plian plaeng saphap pùm-aa-gas pen an-taraai tor khwam-lak-lak-duang chi-wa-phap thuang lok).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Climate change" (noun phrase as subject); "is" (linking verb); "detrimental to" (adjective phrase); "global biodiversity" (noun phrase as complement).

Structural Analysis: A simple declarative sentence with an adjective modifying the predicate. The Thai version uses parallel structure for formality, ideal for SEO in environmental topics like "detrimental impact of climate change."

Informal Occasion

English: Eating junk food every day is detrimental to your fitness goals.

Thai: การกินอาหารขยะทุกวันทำให้เสียหายต่อเป้าหมายด้านสุขภาพของคุณ (Kan gin ah-han kha-ya took wan tham hai sia hai tor pao-muang dan sùk-kha-phap khor khun).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Eating" (gerund as subject); "junk food every day" (object with adverb); "is detrimental to" (adjective phrase); "your fitness goals" (possessive noun phrase).

Structural Analysis: Informal tone with a straightforward S-V structure. In Thai, "ทำให้เสียหาย" adds emphasis on damage, making it relatable for casual SEO content like "detrimental habits in daily life."

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

Declarative Sentence

English: Poor diet choices are detrimental to long-term health.

Thai: การเลือกอาหารที่ไม่ดีเป็นอันตรายต่อสุขภาพในระยะยาว (Kan lek ah-han thi mai dee pen an-taraai tor sùk-kha-phap nai ra-ya yaow).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Poor diet choices" (subject); "are" (verb); "detrimental to" (adjective); "long-term health" (object).

Structural Analysis: Standard declarative form, stating a fact. Thai maintains this for clear communication.

Interrogative Sentence

English: Is excessive screen time detrimental to children's development?

Thai: การใช้เวลาหน้าจอมากเกินไปเป็นอันตรายต่อการพัฒนาของเด็กหรือไม่? (Kan chai wela na-jo mak geun pai pen an-taraai tor kan pat-tha-na khor dek ru hue?).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Is" (auxiliary verb); "excessive screen time" (subject); "detrimental to" (adjective phrase); "children's development" (object); "?" (question mark).

Structural Analysis: Inverted structure for questions, promoting inquiry. Thai uses "หรือไม่" for interrogation.

Imperative Sentence

English: Avoid habits that are detrimental to your well-being!

Thai: หลีกเลี่ยงนิสัยที่เป็นอันตรายต่อสุขภาวะของคุณ! (Leek leang ni-sai thi pen an-taraai tor sùk-kha-pha-wa khor khun!).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Avoid" (imperative verb); "habits that are detrimental" (object clause).

Structural Analysis: Command form with exclamation. Thai employs direct imperative for urgency.

Exclamatory Sentence

English: The detrimental effects of pollution are alarming!

Thai: ผลกระทบที่เป็นอันตรายจากมลพิษน่าตกใจมาก! (Phon kra-thop thi pen an-taraai jaak mon-phit naa dtok-jing mak!).

Grammatical Breakdown: "The detrimental effects" (subject); "of pollution" (prepositional phrase); "are alarming" (predicate); "!" (exclamation).

Structural Analysis: Emphasizes emotion. Thai adds "มาก" for intensity.

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

Simple Sentence

English: Smoking is detrimental.

Thai: การสูบบุหรี่เป็นอันตราย (Kan sùp bù-rì pen an-taraai).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Smoking" (subject); "is detrimental" (predicate).

Structural Analysis: Basic S-V structure for beginners.

Intermediate Sentence

English: Regular exercise is not detrimental and can improve health.

Thai: การออกกำลังกายเป็นประจำไม่เป็นอันตรายและสามารถปรับปรุงสุขภาพได้ (Kan ork gam-lang kai pen bpra-jam mai pen an-taraai lae sǎhm-arn pab bpurn sùk-kha-phap dai).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Regular exercise" (subject); "is not detrimental" (negative predicate); "and can improve health" (conjunction + clause).

Structural Analysis: Compound structure with coordination.

Complex Sentence

English: Although it seems harmless, prolonged exposure to noise is detrimental to hearing.

Thai: แม้ว่าจะดูไม่เป็นอันตราย แต่การสัมผัสกับเสียงดังเป็นเวลานานทำให้เสียหายต่อการได้ยิน (Mae wa ja doo mai pen an-taraai tae kan sam-phat gap siang dang pen wela naan tham hai sia hai tor kan dai yin).

Grammatical Breakdown: "Although it seems harmless" (subordinate clause); "prolonged exposure to noise" (subject); "is detrimental to hearing" (main clause).

Structural Analysis: Uses subordination for advanced expression.

Related Phrases and Expressions

Synonyms/Near Synonyms:

• Harmful – Used to describe immediate dangers, e.g., in health warnings, similar to "detrimental" but with a more direct connotation.
• Damaging – Emphasizes long-term effects, often in environmental contexts, as a near synonym for "detrimental impacts."

Antonyms:

• Beneficial – Refers to positive effects, contrasting "detrimental" in scenarios like health or business decisions.
• Advantageous – Highlights gains, used in formal settings to oppose "detrimental" outcomes.

Common Collocations:

• Detrimental effects – Refers to negative consequences, e.g., in environmental discussions, enhancing SEO for "detrimental effects of pollution."
• Detrimental to society – Describes harm to community structures, common in social issue analyses.

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

Cultural Background:

• Cultural Point 1: In Western cultures, "detrimental" is often linked to individualism, such as personal health risks, as seen in public health campaigns. In Thai culture, it relates to communal harmony, where phrases like "เป็นอันตราย" are used in warnings about family or societal impacts, reflecting collectivist values in media and education.

Usage Habits:

• Habit 1: "Detrimental" is frequently used in formal and professional settings in English-speaking countries, with high popularity in scientific and business contexts. In Thailand, "เป็นอันตราย" is common in everyday language among all age groups, especially in health advisories, and appears in popular media for SEO purposes like "detrimental habits in Thai society."

Grammar Explanation

Grammatical Function:

"Detrimental" functions as an adjective, typically modifying nouns (e.g., "detrimental effects") or appearing in predicate position (e.g., "is detrimental"). It describes qualities of harm and can act as part of a phrase like "detrimental to [something]," indicating a relationship.

Tense and Voice:

As an adjective, "detrimental" does not change with tense; it remains constant (e.g., "was detrimental" uses the verb "was" for past tense). Voice is not applicable, as it is not a verb. In sentences, it can be used in active constructions, like "Pollution is detrimental," for clear, SEO-optimized phrasing.

References

Etymology and History:

The word "detrimental" originates from Latin "detrimentum," meaning "loss" or "damage," evolving through Middle English to its modern form in the 15th century. It gained prominence during the Industrial Revolution for describing environmental and health harms, making it a key term in historical and contemporary discussions.

Literary References:

• From Charles Dickens' "Hard Times": "The detrimental effects of industrialization on the working class were evident." (Source: Hard Times, 1854) – This highlights social critique.
• From modern literature: In Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" (1962), "detrimental chemicals" refers to pesticides, underscoring environmental risks and influencing SEO topics like "detrimental meaning in literature."