Yielding and permission (ยอม, ยอมให้)

Setting the Scene: The Labor Dispute

Before management and workers can reach an agreement, negotiations can be tense. To discuss labor disputes, you will often use vocabulary like สหภาพแรงงาน (labor union), ขู่ (to threaten), and การนัดหยุดงาน (strike).

Reluctant Permission with ยอมให้

When one party holds the power and finally caves in to let another party do something, Thai uses the auxiliary verb ยอมให้. It translates closely to "to allow (by yielding)" or "to grant permission reluctantly".

Place ยอมให้ after the main subject and before the secondary subject (the person who is now allowed to act).

Pattern: [Subject] + ยอมให้ + [Secondary Subject] + [Action]

Like other verbs, you can place ไม่ directly in front of it to indicate a steadfast refusal to yield.

Giving In with ยอม

When the subject isn't giving someone else permission, but is instead submitting to do an action themselves, use ยอม without ให้. It means "to give in" or "to yield". Place it directly before the action verb.

Pattern: [Subject] + ยอม + [Action]

As negotiations continue, management might คัดค้าน (oppose) a specific ข้อเรียกร้อง (demand), but yield on issues like the ค่าจ้าง (wage).

However, if a strike becomes ยืดเยื้อ (prolonged), the pressure usually forces an eventual compromise where one side finally gives in.