Welsh phrasebook Voyage Tips and guide

Welsh (Cymraeg) is a language spoken by 29% of the population, or around 870,000 people, in Wales (Cymru), according to a 2020 population survey. Welsh speakers are found in every part of Wales, but the highest percentages are in communities in the north and west of the country, where 50% or more use the language every day. There is a sizeable Welsh-speaking diaspora in the rest of the UK, but especially in England (Lloegr), along the border and in its larger cities. The language is also spoken by several thousand people in the Chubut province of Argentina (yr Ariannin), as well as by people scattered around the world. All Welsh speakers old enough to attend school in Wales also speak English, while those in Argentina speak Spanish.

Welsh is a Celtic language closely related to Breton and Cornish, and more distantly to Irish, Manx, and Scottish Gaelic. It has also adopted many loanwords from Latin, French, and English, although the spelling and pronunciation of such words has often been radically altered; for instance, the English verb to smoke and the Latin noun leo (lion) are barely recognisable as ysmygu or llew. The Welsh of Patagonia (Cymraeg y Wladfa) has taken on some loanwords from Spanish not found in British dialects.

Pronunciation guide

Welsh is a relatively phonetic language, with most letters having only one pronunciation. Complications may arise with the various consonantal digraphs, particularly "dd" which is represented in English as "th" as in "breathe", while "th" is represented in English as "th" as in "think"; "ll" is a famously difficult (and common) sound for non-Welsh speakers to produce - made by positioning the tongue at the top front of the mouth and blowing, and represented here as "lh". "Ch" is always pronounced like the German name "Bach" or the Scottish "loch"; the sound which appears in the English word "church" is represented by "ts".

There are relatively minor pronunciation differences between northern and southern Welsh, most notably that "i" on the one hand and "u" and "y" are two distinct sounds on the other in the north, while in the south these letters are pronounced identically as the sound of "i".

Unless overridden by an accent mark, the stress in Welsh words nearly always falls on the last but one syllable of a word. As syllables get added to words, for example to denote a plural or a female person of a particular occupation, the sound of a word can change dramatically.

Welsh is written in a version of the Latin alphabet containing 29 letters, including 8 digraphs which count as separate letters for collating purposes (and crossword puzzles): a, b, c, ch, d, dd, e, f, ff, g, ng, h, i, j, l, ll, m, n, o, p, ph, r, rh, s, t, th, u, w, y.

The letters v, x and z do not exist in normal Welsh usage, but have been adopted from English for limited use e.g. in personal names. "K" is regarded as redundant in Welsh as the sound is always represented by "c", but it is found in the prefix "kilo-", although "cilo-" is always acceptable.

Vowels

Vowels in Welsh can have accent marks, most commonly the circumflex (^), called the to bach (little roof), which lengthens the sound of the vowel, and the acute (´), which shortens it. Occasionally the diaeresis (¨) appears, dividing two vowel sounds from each other. Vowel sounds tend to resemble those of major continental European languages rather than English.

There are seven vowels in Welsh, which have both short and long forms. The following sounds are only approximations in English:

a: like "pat"
â: like "father"
e: like "pet"
ê: like "pear"
i: like "pit"
î: like "machine"
o: like "pot"
ô: "port"
u: like "pit" (South Wales); like a French "u" as in "tu" (North Wales)
û: like "machine" (South Wales); longer version of French "u" as in "tu" (North Wales)
w: when followed by a consonant or at the end of a word, like "u" in "put"; when followed by a vowel, like "w" in "well"
ŵ: like "oo" as in "moon"
y: when the only or last vowel in a word, like "i" in "pit"; when earlier in a word, like "u" in "put"; NB: in a few common words, such as fy (my) and dy (your), y is pronounced as in "put"
ŷ: like "machine"

Consonants

b: like "b" in "bed".
c: like "c" in "cat".
ch: like "ch" in German "Bach" or Scottish "loch".
d: like "d" in "death".
dd: like "th" in "the".
f: like "v" in "van".
ff: like "f" in "fun".
g: like "g" in "garden".
ng: like "ng" in "pong". Sometimes, like in "finger".
h: like "h" in "heart".
j: like "j" in "jump"
l: like "l" in "link".
ll: place the tongue at the top of the mouth, and blow.
m: like "m" in "meet".
n: like "n" in "news".
p: like "p" in "pen".
ph: like "ph" in "philosophy".
r: like "r" in "red" (well rolled, as in Scottish pronunciation).
rh: an aspirated, breathy "r".
s: like "s" in "state".
si + vowel (not a consonant, but a sound): like "sh" in "shore".
t: like "t" in "time".
th: like "th" in "think".
ts + vowel (not a consonant, but a sound): like "ch" in "chocolate"

Common diphthongs

Only southern forms unless otherwise stated. English approximations are also given.

ae: like "eye".
ai: like "eye".
au: like "aye", with a rounded closing sound. When used as the plural marker, often pronounced "ah" in the north and "eh" in the south.
aw: like "ow!".
ei: like "ey" in "hey!"
eu: like "ey" in "hey!", but with a rounded closing sound.
ew: like "eh-oo" said quickly.
ey: like "ey" in "hey!".
iw: like "you".
oe: like "oy" in "boy".
oi: like "oy" in "boy".
ou: like "oy" in "boy".
uw: like "you".
wy: like "oo-ee".
yw: like "you" (in monosyllables).
yw: like "uh-oo" (in polysyllabics).

The differences between some of the diphthongs are often very subtle.

Grammar

Grammatically, Welsh is relatively complex with two grammatical genders, masculine and feminine, which all nouns are assigned to, and also masculine and feminine forms of the numbers "two" "three" and "four" which have to match the gender of the object being counted; there are also two separate counting systems, decimal (base 10) and the more traditional vigesimal (base 20). The phenomenon of mutation is a characteristic of the Celtic languages, where the initial letters of words change depending on the grammar of the sentence, which can make tracking words down in a dictionary difficult.

Phrase list

Basics

Hello.: Helo. (Hello)
Hello. (informal): S'mae. (s-my) (north) / Shwmae (shoo-my?) (south))
How are you? (formal): Sut ydych chi? (north) Shwd ych chi? (south)
How are you? (informal): Sut wyt ti? (north) Shwd wyt ti? (south)
Fine, thank you.: Iawn, diolch. (yown, DEE-ol'ch)
What is your name? (formal): Be' ydy'ch enw chi? (bay UHdi'ch ENoo ch'ee?)
What is your name? (informal): Be' ydy dy enw di? (bay UHdi duh ENoo dee?)
My name is ______ .: ______ ydy f'enw i. (_____ you ven-oo ee.)(South) ______ (North)
Nice to meet you.: Braf cwrdd â chi. (Brahv corth ah khi)
Please.: Os gwelwch chi'n dda. (Ahs guWELLuch in tha)
Thank you [very much].: Diolch [yn fawr]. (DEE-ol'ch [un vowr])
You're welcome.: Croeso. (CROY-so)

There are no exact equivalents of "yes" and "no" in Welsh; the concept is conveyed grammatically with regard to agreement between the person and tense by indicating agreement or disagreement e.g. "yes there is" or "no there is not", which is said in different ways depending on how the question was phrased. If the question begins "Oes...?" or "A oes...?" ("Is there...?") then the reply is "oes" or "nac oes"; if the question begins "Ydy...?" ("Is...?") then the reply is "ydy" or "nac ydy" etc

Yes.: Ie (ee-yeah)
No.: Na (Nah)
Excuse me. (getting attention): Esgusodwch fi. (es-gis-OD-oo'ch vee)
Excuse me. (begging pardon): Esgusodwch fi. (es-gis-OD-oo'ch vee)
I'm sorry.: Mae'n ddrwg gen i. (My uhn th'roog gen ee)
Goodbye (Formal): Da bo chi. (Da BO ch'ee)
Goodbye (Informal): Hwyl! (hooill)
I can't speak Welsh [well].: Alla i ddim siarad Cymraeg [yn dda]. (Alh'a ee thim SHARad kym-RYE-g [uhn tha])
Do you speak English?: Ydych chi'n siarad Saesneg? (UD-ich ch'een SHARad SAYES-neg?)
Is there someone here who speaks English?: Oes rhywun yma sy'n siarad Saesneg? (Oyss RHEEW-in UMma seen SHARad SAYES-neg?)
Help!: Help! (Help)
Look out!: Hendiwch! (HEN-dyoo'ch!)
Good morning.: Bore da. (BOR-eh dah)
Good afternoon.: Prynhawn da. (PROINhaun dah) (North)
Good evening.: Noswaith dda. (NOSS-why-th thah) (South) (NOSS-waith-thah) (North)
Good night.: Nos da. (NOHS dah)
Good night (to sleep): Nos da. (NOHS dah)
I don't understand.: Dw i ddim yn ddeall. (DWEE thim in THEEall)
Where is the toilet?: Ble mae'r tŷ bach? (Blay my'r tee bahch?)

Problems

Numbers

0: dim (dim)
1: un (een)
2: dau (die) (m); dwy (doo-ey) (f)
3: tri (tree) (m); tair (tire) (f)
4: pedwar (PED-war) (m); pedair (PED-ire) (f)
5: pump (pimp); pum (pim) before a noun
6: chwech (ch'way'ch); chwe (ch'way) before a noun
7: saith (sayeth)
8: wyth (oo-ith)
9: naw (now)
10: deg (day-g); deng (deng) before a noun
From this point, the first term is the vigesimal form, the second is the decimal form. Replace "dau", "tri" and "pedwar" with "dwy", "tair", and "pedair" as appropriate.
11: un ar ddeg (een ar thayg); un deg un
12: deuddeg (DAY-theg) deuddeng (DAY-theng)before a noun; un deg dau
13: tri ar ddeg (tree ar thayg); un deg tri
14: pedwar ar ddeg (PED-war ar thayg); un deg pedwar
15: pumtheg (PUM-theg), pumtheng (PUM-theng)before a noun; un deg pump
16: un ar bymtheg (een ar BUM-theg); un deg chwech
17: dau ar bymtheg (die ar BUM-theg); un deg saith
18: deunaw (DAY-now); un deg wyth
19: pedwar ar bymtheg (PED-war ar BUM-theg); un deg naw
20: ugain (IG-ine); dau ddeg
21: un ar hugain (een ar IG-ine); dau ddeg un
22: dau ar hugain (die ar HIG-ine); dau ddeg dau
23: tri ar hugain (tree ar HIG-ine); dau ddeg tri
30: deg ar hugain (DAYG ar HIG-ine); tri ddeg
40: deugain (DAY-gine); pedwar deg
50: hanner cant (HAN-ner kant); pum deg
60: trigain (TRIG-ine); chwe deg
70: deg a thrigain (DAYG ah THRIG-ine); saith deg
80: pedwar ugain (PED-war IG-ine); wyth deg
90: deg a phedwar ugain (DAYG ah FED-war IG-ine); naw deg
91: un ar ddeg a phedwar ugain (een ar thayg ah FED-war IG-ine); naw deg un
100: cant (KANT); can (can) before a noun
200: dau gant (die gant)
300: tri chant (tree ch'ant)
1000: mil (meel)
2000: dwy fil (doo-eey veel)
1,000,000: miliwn (MIL-ioon)
number _____ (train, bus, etc.): rhif _____ (Rheev)
half: hanner (HAN-ner)
less: llai (lhie)
more: mwy (moo-ee)

Time

now: rŵan (ROO-an)[North]; nawr (NOW-r) [South]
later: hwyrach (HOOIR-ach)
before: cyn (kin)
after: wedi (weddy)
morning: bore (BOR-eh)
in the morning: yn y bore (un uh BOR-eh)
afternoon: prynhawn (PRUN-hown) - commonly pronounced p'nown
evening: noswaith (NOSooaith); noson (nosson)
in the evening: gyda'r nos (Gudar nohs)
night: nos (nohs)

Clock time

one o'clock AM: un o'r gloch y bore (een oh'r glo'ch uh bor-eh) - 1:00 y.b.; 01:00
two o'clock AM: dau o'r gloch y bore (die oh'r glo'ch uh bor-eh) - 2:00 y.b.; 02:00
noon: hanner dydd (HAN-ner DEE-th) - 12:00 pm
one o'clock PM, 13:00: un o'r gloch y p'nawn (een oh'r glo'ch uh p'nown) - 1:00 y.p.; 13:00
two o'clock PM, 14:00: dau o'r gloch y p'nawn (die oh'r glo'ch uh p'nown) - 2:00 y.p.; 14:00
quarter to seven, 18:45: chwarter i saith - 6.45 y.h.
quarter past seven, 19:15: chwarter wedi saith - 7.15 y.h.
half past seven, 19:30: hanner wedi saith - 7:30 y.h.
midnight: hanner nos (HAN-ner nohs) 12:00 y.b.

Duration

_____ minute(s): _____ munud(au) (MINNID(eh))
_____ hour(s): _____ awr, pl. oriau (our, plural OR-yai)
_____ day(s): _____ dydd(iau) (DEEth, plural DUTH-yai)
_____ week(s): _____ wythnos(au) (OOITH-noss, plural ooith-NOSS-eye)
_____ month(s): _____ mis(oedd)(mees, plural MIS-oeth)
_____ year(s): _____ blwyddyn, pl. blynyddoedd (BLOOITH-in, plural blun-UTH-oeth)
daily: yn ddyddiol (uhn dhuh-iol)
weekly: yn wythnosol (uhn ooith-NOSS-ol)
monthly: yn fisol (uhn VIS-ol)
yearly: yn flynyddol (uhn vluh-NUTH-ol)

Days

today: heddiw (HETH-you)
yesterday: ddoe (THOY)
tomorrow: yfory (uh-VOR-ee)
last night: neithiwr (NAI-thee-uhr)
the day before yesterday: echdoe (ECH-doy)
the night before last: echnos (ECH-nos)
this week: yr wythnos hon (uhr WITH-nos hon)
last week: yr wythnos diwethaf (uhr WITH-nos dyoo-ETH-av (commonly pronounced "dyoo-ETHA"))
next week: yr wythnos nesaf (uhr WITH-nos NESS-av (commonly pronounced "nessa"))

Monday: Dydd Llun (deethe lheen)
Tuesday: Dydd Mawrth (deethe MOW-rth)
Wednesday: Dydd Mercher (deethe MER-cher)
Thursday: Dydd Iau (deethe IAI)
Friday: Dydd Gwener (deethe GWEN-er)
Saturday: Dydd Sadwrn (deethe SAD-oorn)
Sunday: Dydd Sul (deethe seel)

The word nos can be combined with the names of the days (minus dydd) to mean 'Monday night', 'Tuesday evening', and so on. Because nos is a feminine noun, it mutates some of the following names of days:

Monday evening / night: Nos Lun (nos leen)
Tuesday evening / night: Nos Fawrth (nos VOW-rth)
Wednesday evening / night: Nos Fercher (nos VER-cher)
Thursday evening / night: Nos Iau (nos IAI)
Friday evening / night: Nos Wener (nos WEN-er)
Saturday evening / night: Nos Sadwrn (nos SAD-oorn)
Sunday evening / night: Nos Sul (nos seel)

Months

January: Ionawr (ION-our)
February: Chwefror (CHWEV-ror)
March: Mawrth (MOWRTH)
April: Ebrill (EB-rilh)
May: Mai (MY)
June: Mehefin (me-HEV-in)
July: Gorffennaf (gor-FEN-nav)
August: Awst (OWST)
September: Medi (MED-ee)
October: Hydref (HUD-rev)
November: Tachwedd (TACH-weth)
December: Rhagfyr (RAG-vir)

It's sometimes necessary to put the word mis (month) in front of the name, as some have other common meanings. For instance, Mawrth means both "Tuesday" and "Mars", while hydref means "autumn".

Writing time and date

Dates are written day/month/year. So if you see 04-12-2003, you know that's y pedwerydd o Rhagfyr, not April 12. A date (18-12-1963) fully spelled out is y deunawfed o Ragfyr mil naw chwe tri (you specify the number of thousands, then the individual number of the hundreds, tens, and units; for years from 2000 onwards say "dwy fil" (two thousand) followed by the significant number, omitting the zeroes - thus 2005 is "dwy fil a phump" (two thousand and five), compared with 1987 which was "mil naw wyth saith" ((one) thousand nine eight seven).

The ordinals are as follows. The feminine form is given with feminine nouns.

1st - 1af, cyntaf

2nd - 2il, ail

3rd - 3ydd, trydydd (m.), trydedd (f.)

4th - 4ydd, pedwerydd (m.), pedwaredd (f.)

5th - 5ed, pumed

6th - 6ed, chweched

7th - 7fed, seithfed

8th - 8fed, wythfed

9th - 9fed, nawfed

10th - 10fed, degfed

Times are either written in the 24 hour clock or with hours and minutes separated by a colon or dot and suffixed by "y.b." (y bore),"y.p." (y p'nawn) or "y.h." (yr hwyr) equivalent to "a.m." and "p.m.".

Seasons

spring: gwanwyn (GWAN-win)
summer: haf (haav)
autumn: hydref (HUD-rev)
winter: gaeaf (GAI-yav)

Colours

black: du (dee)
white: gwyn (m) / gwen (f) (gwin/gwen)
grey: llwyd (lh'oo-id)
red: coch (KO'ch)
blue: glas (glaas) - note that this word is also used to describe the colour of grass.
yellow: melyn (MELLIN)
green: gwyrdd (m) / gwerdd (f) (gwirth/gwer'th)
orange: oren (ORRen)
pink: pinc (pink)
purple: porffor or glascoch (POR-for or GLASko'ch)
brown: brown (brown)
silver: arian (AR-yan)
gold: aur (ire)

Transportation

Bus and train

How much is a ticket to _____?: Faint yw tocyn i _____ ? (Vy-nt yoo TOK-in ee)
One ticket to _____, please.: Tocyn i _____, os gwelwch yn dda. (TOK-in ee ____ oss GWEL-ookh uhn thah)
Where does this train/bus go?: Ble mae'r trên/bws hwn yn mynd? (blay mire trayn/boos hoon uhn mind?)
Where is the train/bus to _____?: Ble mae'r trên/bws i _____ ? (blay mire trayn/boos i ____)
Does this train/bus stop in _____?: Ydy'r trên/bws hwn yn galw yn _____ ? (Uh deer trayn/bws hoon uhn GA-loo uhn _____)
When does the train/bus for _____ leave?: Pryd mae'r trên/bws i ______ yn gadael? (preed mire trayn/boos i _______ un GAD-ile)
When will this train/bus arrive in _____?: Pryd fydd y trên/bws hwn yn cyrraedd _____ ? (preed veeth uh trayn/boos hoon un KUHR-ithe _____)
a one-way ticket: tocyn sengl
a return/round trip ticket: tocyn dwy ffordd

Directions

Where is the _____?: Ble mae'r _____ ? (blay my'r _____)
abbey: abaty (a-BA-tee)
beach: traeth (tryth)
bus/railway station: orsaf fysiau/reilffordd (OR-sav vuh-SHY / RAIL-fordh) (NB: orsaf is a mutation; the base form you'll see on signs is gorsaf)
castle: castell (cas-DELH)
church / cathedral: eglwys / eglwys gadeiriol (eg-LOIS / eg-LOIS ga-DAY-reeol)
farm: fferm (ferm)
house / cottage: tŷ / bwthyn (tee / BUH-thin)
hotel: gwesty (GWES-dee)
island: ynys (UN-iss)
lake: llyn (lheen)
library: lyfrgell (luvr-GELH) (NB: mutation; base form is llyfrgell)
market hall: neuadd y farchnad (NAY-adh uh VARKH-nad)
mountain: mynydd (MUN-idh)
museum / gallery: amgueddfa / oriel (am-ghee-EDH-va / OR-yel)
park / garden: parc / ardd (parc / ardh) (NB: ardd is a mutation; base form is gardd)
port / harbour: porth (porth)
pub: dafarn (da-VARN) (NB: mutation; base form is tafarn)
river / stream: afon / nant (A-von / nant)
town/city centre: canol y dref/ddinas (CAN-ol uh drev / DHI-nas)
North: Gogledd (GOG-ledh')
South: De (day)
East: Dwyrain (DOOY-rine)
West: Gorllewin (gor-LH'EW-in)
Turn left / right: Trowch i'r chwith / dde (trowch eer chweeth / dhe)

Taxi

Taxi: Tacsi

Lodging

hotel: gwesty
bed & breakfast: gwely a brecwast
campsite: gwersyll / maes gwersylla
tent: pabell (pl: pebyll)
caravan: carafán
self-catering: hunan arlwyo

Money

Pound: Punt (peent)
Penny: Ceiniog (CAY-neeog)

Punt and ceiniog are both feminine nouns, meaning the feminine forms of numbers must be used where they exist (i.e. for 2, 3 and 4). Nouns following numbers never pluralise, so whether you're spending one pound or one hundred pounds, you only say punt. The words for 'two' (dau/dwy) do cause the following noun to soft mutate, however:

one pound: un punt (een peent)
two pounds: dwy bunt (doo-ee peent)
two pence: dwy geiniog (doo-ee GAY-neeog)
three pounds: tair punt (tire peent)
four pounds: pedair punt (PED-ire peent)
twenty pence: ugain ceiniog (IG-ine peent)

Eating

bread: bara
potatoes: tatws
chips (i.e. fries): sglodion
fish: pysgod
poultry: ffowlyn
meat: cig
lamb: cig oen
sausage: selsig
bacon: bacwn
vegetables: llysiau
cabbage: bresych
carrots: moron
cauliflower: blodfresych
garlic: garlleg
laverbread: bara lawr
leeks: cennin
mushrooms: madarch
parsnips: pannas
peas: pys
swede / turnip: maip
tomato: tomato
fruit: ffrwyth
apple: afal
orange: oren
cheese: caws
eggs: wyau
cake: cacen (south), teisen (north)
chocolate: siocled
sweets: losin
butter: menyn
coffee: coffi
tea: te
water: dŵr
juice: sudd
milk: llaeth (south), llefrith (north)
Welsh produce: bwyd o Gymru
sugar: siwgr
salt: halen
pepper: pupur

Bars

pub: tafarn
beer: cwrw
bitter: chwerw
real ale: cwrw go iawn
cider: seidr
wine: gwin
white wine: gwin gwyn
red wine: gwin coch
whisky: chwisgi
vodka: fodca
rum: rym
coke: cola
lemonade: lemonêd
A bottle / Half a bottle: Potel / haner potel
A pint / Two pints, please: Peint / Dau beint, plîs.
crisps (potato chips): creision (tatws)
nuts: cnau
Cheers! (good health): Iechyd da!

Shopping

shop / shops: siop / siopau
supermarket: archfarchnad
market: marchnad
dairy: llaethdy
bakery: popty
butcher: cigydd
change: newid
open: ar agor
closed: ar gau
buy: prynu
sell: gwerthu

Driving

road: ffordd
motorway: traffordd
services: gwasanaethau
car park: maes parcio
insurance: yswiriant
accident: damwain
Is there a petrol station here?: Oes na orsaf petrol fan hyn?
Where's the road to Pandy?: Ble mae'r ffordd i'r Pandy?
The road via Gwersyllt is quicker.: Mae'r ffordd drwy Gwersyllt yn gyflymach.
Try to avoid Cefn-y-Bedd.: Ceisiwch osgoi Cefn-y-Bedd.
Is there a prettier route to Brymbo?: Oes ffordd perta i fynd i Frymbo?
Turn left at the old steel works.: Trowch i'r chwith ger yr hen waith dur.
There's nothing to see there.: Does dim byd yna i weld yno.
There's a petrol station in Rossett but Sainsbury's is cheaper.: Mae na orsaf petrol yn Yr Orsedd ond mae Sainsbury's yn rhatach
You can park in Heol Hyfryd for free.: Gewch chi barcio yn Heol Hyfryd am ddim.
Don't park in Bryn Hyfryd it's a rough area.: Peidiwch â pharcio ym Mryn Hyfryd - mae'n ardal ryff.

Authority

police: heddlu (HEDH-lee)
fire station: gorsaf dân (GOR-sav daan)

This Welsh phrasebook is a usable article. It explains pronunciation and the bare essentials of travel communication. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.