Learning Welsh

Learn Welsh words and phrases which you can use in real life situations on your holiday to Wales. As well as covering the basics you will also learn some Welsh sayings and interesting facts about the Welsh language. Welsh is the oldest language spoken in Great Britain and has a rich history, possibly dating back some 4,000 years. The Welsh language, like most modern European languages can find its roots in what we now know as Indo- European. Indo- European itself evolved into nine different languages, one of these was Celtic. Several Celtic languages developed and were widely spoken across Europe. The only Celtic languages to survive are those that migrated to the west of the British Isles.

Wales is today part of the United Kingdom but has a very rich and varied culture of its own as well as a thriving language. Everybody does, of course, speak English but visitors who attempt to converse in the local tongue will get a very warm welcome.

Learn the pronunciation of Welsh letters

How words are pronounced is very important in Welsh. There is only a short way to say a letter, not a long and short way as in English. Many letters sound completely different to how we might say them in English.

a

As a in cat

b

As b in boat

c

As c in cat

ch

Is voiced from the back of your throat, hiss and clear your throat at the same time

d

As d in dog

dd

As th in then, never as th in think

e

As e in hen but more often as ai in fair

f

As v in Vera

ff

As f in feel

g

As g in get

ng

As ng in ring

h

As h in high

i

As ee in seen

l

As l in lemon

ll

Get your mouth ready to say an L but instead try to say H as in hiss

m

As m in mother

n

A n in no

o

This letter is usually pronounced like the English word oar, but in some words may be o as in dot

p

As p in party

ph

As ph in pharoh

r

As r in Rolls Royce

rh

Try to roll the r at the same same as saying the h

s

As s in stop

t

As t in tap

th

As th in thanks

uu

As the i in machine

w

As the English oo

y

Can be pronounced as er in her, but don't linger on the r, say it short as if you were cup

The letter y is also sometimes pronounced as y in candy

Image credit: Cadw Swn

Click image for free Welsh Alphabet track download

Bore Da-Good Morning

Prynhawn Da-Good Afternoon

Noswaith Dda-Good Evening

Nos Da-Good Night

Diolch-Thank-you

Os gwelwch yn dda-Please

Rydw i-I am

Dafad-Sheep

See if you can pronounce the words here. Try using the Welsh Alphabet phonetics above to sound as authentic as possible.

Ble? Where?

Ble mae.....? Where is......?

Sut? How?

Sut mae (s'mae)? How are you?

Pwy? Who?

Pwy dach chi? Who are you?

Pam? Why?

Pan? When?


Beth? What?


Beth wyt ti'n gwneud yn dy amser hamdden? What do you do in your spare time?

Sometimes shortened to Be'? such as be'dy amser? (What time is it?)

Wyt ti'n aelod o dîm chwaraeon? Are you a member of a sports team?

Please leave your comments regarding your experience learning the Welsh lingo.

Un dau tri pedwar pump chwech saith wyth naw deg

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