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.
There is a popular saying in Wales: “Anyone can cuddle but only the Welsh can cwtsh!”
‘Cwtsh’ – or cwtch / cwts / cwtsi as it is alternatively spelt – can be loosely translated as “hug” or “cuddle” in English and is pronounced like the word “butch”. It is so popular that the Welsh sometimes use it even when they are speaking in English!
Whether your child passes his exam with flying colours, or your best friend manages to get that long-desired promotion, there are many situations where it’s appropriate to praise someone for a job well done. In English, we have a range of encouraging phrases to choose between but what about in Welsh? Well, it turns out that there are plenty!
Last week, I had the amazing experience of being interviewed by S4C Dysgu Cymraeg, S4C’s brand new service for language learners. (If you’ve never heard of S4C, it’s Britain’s only Welsh language television channel and it’s definitely worth watching if you want exposure to all varieties of Welsh!)
Sesiwn Fawr is one of the most popular music festivals in Wales, attracting thousands of people each year to the historic town of Dolgellau where it has been held since its humble beginnings in 1992.
If you speak or have ever studied French, you will surely have noticed the many lexical similarities it shares with Welsh. I can remember visiting Wales for the first time as an adult and being in disbelief at how much I could already pick out from the street signs, all thanks to my high school French.
Now, this isn’t because French had a direct influence on Welsh but because French descends primarily from Latin, which was the language of the Romans who conquered Britain in 43 AD.
If you stop and think about how many ways there are of saying “goodbye” in English – from the standard “bye” and “see you later” to the more niche expressions like “cheerio” to “toodle-loo” – it should come as no surprise that Welsh has a wide range of phrases too. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular ones now! 🙂
The Welsh word for congratulations is … a long one! 😉
I remember it took me ages to learn how to pronounce this word without getting my tongue tied, so don’t worry if it takes you a while for you to master it as well. Let’s break it down into small bite-sized syllables, shall we?
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 idiomatic 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! 1. Dim ffiars o beryg! English translation: Not likely! Not a chance! This has got to be my favourite Welsh …
Note: This article was written a few years ago now, and while my circumstances have changed (i.e. the birth of my son), I believe the reasons for starting to learn Welsh remain just as relevant today. When I first became fascinated by language learning, I have to admit that Welsh wasn’t my first choice. As …
