In this day and age, you will hear a lot of people using Welsh slang words or bratiaith, especially among the youth. Please remember that slang is very informal language and it can even offend some people, but it’s likely you’ll come across it on your Welsh language journey. Encountering these words can be quite confusing as a learner, so you will be pleased to know that I’ve created a list of the top 20 to help you out.
1. Lyfio / Lyfo
A variation on ‘to love’ in English. ‘Lyfio’ is commonly used in the north, whereas ‘lyfo’ with the dropped ‘i’ is commonly used in the south.
Dw i’n lyfio fy nghar newydd!
I love my new car!
2. Ffansi
The English equivalence here would be ‘to fancy’.
Mae gen i ffansi mynd allan am fwyd heno.
I fancy going out for a meal tonight.
3. Safio
In English, this means ‘to save’.
Dw i’n trio safio pres i fynd ar fy ngwyliau.
I’m trying to save money to go on holiday.
4. Cweit
Does this sound similar to an English adjective? That’s because it’s a variation on the English ‘quite’.
Dydyn nhw ddim cweit yn barod.
They’re not quite ready.
5. Rhy gormod
‘Too much’ in English. In Welsh, it would be a crime to use both together as they are grammatically incorrect. The correct way to say ‘too much’ in Welsh is ‘gormod’.
Dw i wedi bwyta rhy gormod i ginio.
I have eaten too much for lunch.
6. Cerio
A variation on the English ‘to care’ and used more in north Wales.
Dwi’m yn cerio be’ bynnag.
I don’t care anyway.
7. Iwsho
This is the slang word used throughout Wales for ‘defnyddio’ in Welsh. ‘To use’ in English.
Paid ag iwsho fy sychwr gwallt eto. Bron i ti dorri fo!
Don’t use my hairdryer again. You almost broke it!
8. Handi
As you can see, the wording of this adjective is nearly the same as the wording of ‘handy’ in English, and that’s because it means the same thing!
Mae cael siop rownd y gornel mor handi!
Having a shop around the corner is so handy!
9. Watshad / Watsho
This slang word is typically used to replace ‘gwylio’ or ‘to watch’ in English and is heard in all Welsh dialects.
Dw i isio watshad / watsho Rownd a Rownd heno ‘ma.
I want to watch ‘rownd a rownd’ tonight.
10. Rîli
This is the Welsh slang word for ‘really’ and it’s commonly used in today’s society. It can be heard in every corner of the country and purposely used to put an emphasis on something.
Dw i rîli isio mynd i Alton Towers penwythnos ‘ma.
I really want to go to Alton Towers this weekend.
11. Hêtio
Just like many other Welsh slang words, all you need to do sometimes is change the spelling of the English version slightly and add an ‘o’ to the end. Can you guess what this word means? You might have guessed it – it’s the English version of ‘to hate’!
Mae Lowri yn hêtio mynd i’r ysgol.
Lowri hates to go to school.
12. Wyndro
Again, this slang word has an added ‘o’ at the end of it to sound a bit more Cymraeg. The English equivalence of this word is ‘to wonder’:
Dim ond wyndro oeddwn i wyt ti ar gael heno ‘ma?
I was just wondering are you available tonight?
13. Gweld ti ar ôl
This is the literal way of saying ‘see you after’ in Welsh. You might hear people from some areas of north-east Wales or even south Wales using this phrase as a goodbye greeting. The correct translation for this phrase would be ‘wela’i di eto/wela’i di wedyn’.
Dw i am fynd rŵan. Gweld ti ar ôl!
I’m off now. See you after!
14. Chargo
Does this word sound familiar to you? If it isn’t, it’s the Welsh slang word for ‘to charge’. But remember, this doesn’t make it grammatically correct though!
Faint maen nhw’n chargo am diced?
How much do they charge for a ticket?
15. Rong
Have a guess what this one means…
Mae rhai’n meddwl bod y rheol 20mya newydd ‘ma’n hollol rong.
Some people think that the new 20mph rule is completely wrong.
16. Lysh
This slang word has a couple of meanings. You will hear this adjective being used a lot in south Wales as an expression to compliment someone. But in north Wales, this slang word can mean ‘alcohol’, so it completely depends on the context and who you’re talking to.
Mae’r sgert ‘na’n edrych mor lysh arnat ti!
That skirt looks so nice on you!
17. Gwd
This slang word is the English slang word for ‘good’, typically used in south Wales.
Roedd y gêm rygbi na’n gwd ‘achan!
That rugby match was good!
18. Iws
This slang word means ‘use’ in English, typically used in the south. In fact, the pronunciation of this word is the same as the English pronunciation, so you don’t need to worry about that.
Dyw e ddim iws i mi!
It’s no use for me!
19. Ymeising
Just like many English adjectives, people tend to change the wording of these words to look/sound more Cymraeg. The English translation of this word is ‘amazing’.
Roedd y cyngerdd neithiwr yn ymeising!
Last night’s concert was amazing!
20. Switsho
And lastly, we have this common slang word which means ‘to switch’. You might come across people who use ‘switsho i ffwrdd’ for ‘to switch off’, too.
Wnei di switsho’r golau ‘na i ffwrdd, plîs?
Will you switch that light off, please?
Have you heard any other slang words while speaking to native Welsh speakers? Let us know in the comments below!
