Are you revelling in the cosy nights? Have you filled your Pinterest boards with the latest autumnal trends? Are you cwtched up on the sofa with a piping cup of siocled popeth (hot chocolate). Perhaps you’ve already cranked up the gwres (heating)! Yr Hydref (autumn) is my favourite time of year. From crisp mornings to cosy evenings in with …
Today’s Welsh word of the day is rhag. This little word is quite difficult to translate; it can have so many different meanings, including against, before, from and lest. In broad terms, rhag is used when discussing precautions and prevention. You will often see rhag appear where the prefix pre- appears in English. rhag against …
Have you ever heard the Welsh folk song Cyfri’r Geifr, also known as Oes Gafr Eto?One of the first words I picked up at the beginning of my Welsh learning journey was from this song – cynffon – which means tail or appendage. The plural is the very regular cynffonnau. cynffon tail / appendage cynffonnau …
Coginio (cooking) is supposed to be about getting everything just right – not too much or too little of anything, be it halen (salt), pupur (pepper) or tsili (chilli). When it comes to garlleg (garlic), though, I just can’t bring myself to take that advice. Any pryd o fwyd (meal), in my opinion, is improved …
I thought today’s word, cynhaeaf (harvest), would be particularly fitting as we find ourselves well into the tymor yr hydref (autumn season). It gives us a chance to reflect on the summer months, while also giving thanks to our ffermwyr (farmers) for the hard work that goes into bringing in the harvest. cynhaeaf harvest The …
Washed-up jellyfish on the beach are a very common sight in Wales, especially during the summer months. Despite their fearsome reputation, most species are actually quite harmless, inflicting just a mild sting. That said, there are a vicious few such as the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish that can do plenty of damage, even posthumously, so unless …
Like many children his age, my young son is terrified of y tywyllwch (the dark), and more specifically, of the creatures that might be lurking there. He doesn’t believe there is an anghenfil under his bed, funnily enough, but he doesn’t dare venture into the upstairs bathroom on his own! As you’ve probably guessed by …
Yes, yes, I know – the pedantic amongst you will be quick to point out that ych-a-fi isn’t a single word but three words combined to form an interjection. It can be translated in any number of ways including yucky, disgusting, horrible – just take your pick! All we really need to know is that …
Do you know why the grawnfwyd (cereal) Kelloggs advertises itself with a picture of a ceiliog (cockerel / rooster)? The easy answer is that these adar (birds) are known for waking people in the morning with their canu (usually singing, here crowing), signalling the start of the day and time for brecwast (breakfast). But it …
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. llongyfarchiadau congratulations The singular form llongyfarchiad means congratulation, but you won’t …