Heather is passionate about everything language-related. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she holds a TEFL certification from Aberystwyth University and a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. Along with her native English, she speaks Italian, Welsh, and a smattering of Japanese and French.
When you sign up for a Welsh course, one of the very first survival phrases you’ll learn is “How are you?”. This “cyfarchiad” (greeting) can be expressed in two different ways:
The Welsh language has a wide range of sayings and phrases that are worth exploring if your aim is to sound like a native. Why not see if you can slip some of the following into your next conversation! 😉
When I first became curious about language learning, I admit that Welsh wasn’t my first choice. I was a starry-eyed seventeen year old in Canada, obsessed with Japanese pop music, and all I could think about was immersing myself in the Japanese language, travelling to Japan, and perhaps one day even moving there for good. Welsh wasn’t even close to being on my radar.
In every language, including Welsh, there are certain expressions that people tend to use over and over again when speaking. Below you can find ten expressions you’ll come across on a regular basis in colloquial Welsh. By mastering these expressions, not only will you be able to carry on a more natural conversation in Welsh …
Located at the historic heart of the market town of Machylleth lies a small cafe called Caffi Alys. It is well-known in the area as a haven for Welsh speakers and those learning the language.
Depending on where you live in Wales, there are different ways of saying “grandmother” in Welsh.
Anyone who knows me is well aware that I love languages, so much in fact that I spent six years living and breathing the Japanese language, another six years living in Italy (where I met my wonderful husband Mathieu), and as of this summer, four years studying what the Welsh fondly call “iaith y nefoedd” – the language of heaven.
As you cross the border from England into Wales, you will be greeted by the expression “Welcome to Wales” or “Croeso i Gymru” on most signs.
Are you fed up with using the same old hackneyed expression “Iawn, diolch!” whenever someone asks how you are in Welsh?
To be fair, it is by far the most common response to << sut wyt ti >>, even when native Welsh speakers talk amongst themselves, but if, as a learner, you’d like to spice things up a bit, why not give one of the following ten expressions a try!
In standard Welsh, there are different ways of saying “home” depending on the context of the sentence.
The first word cartref, or cartrefi in its plural form, is the generic noun for “home” and is often used in the sense of ‘a home’.
