อุบัติเหตุ
accident
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- 1 accident
An accident is an unexpected, unintended event that can cause injury or damage.
accident
An unintended event, such as a collision or a fall, that causes or may cause harm.
Learning notes
Explanation
This is a standard noun used in both everyday conversation and news reports. It covers traffic accidents, falls, workplace injuries, and similar events. It does not necessarily imply a serious accident. Useful combinations include เกิดอุบัติเหตุ, meaning “an accident occurs,” and ประสบอุบัติเหตุ, meaning “have an accident.” อุบัติเหตุร้ายแรง describes a serious accident, while อุบัติเหตุเล็กน้อย describes a minor one. Use ครั้ง to count occurrences: เกิดอุบัติเหตุสองครั้ง means “there were two accidents.”
Usage
Use this word when reporting a road accident, explaining an injury at a hospital, discussing workplace safety, or explaining a delay caused by an accident. It also appears frequently in news reports and insurance information.
Caution
Do not use this noun for every sense of English “accident” or “by accident.” For a chance meeting, use บังเอิญ. To describe doing something unintentionally, use an expression such as เผลอ or ไม่ได้ตั้งใจ, depending on the context. Calling an event อุบัติเหตุ does not imply that nobody was negligent or responsible.
Differences from similar words
1 accident synonyms
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เหตุการณ์ means an event or incident and can describe many kinds of situations. อุบัติเหตุ specifically refers to an unintended accident involving possible injury or damage.