Have you ever wanted to apologise to somebody in Welsh but weren’t quite sure how? Well, you’ve come to the right place! 🙂
Words
How to say “hug” or “cuddle” in Welsh
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!
How to Say “Well done!” in Welsh
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!
15 Welsh Words That Resemble French (But Come From Latin!)
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.
10 Fun Ways to Say Goodbye in Welsh
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: Llongyfarchiadau!
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?
Tired of “Sut/Shwt wyt ti?” Why not try these other ways of saying “How are you?” in Welsh!
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 colloquial “Sut wyt ti?” (NW) / “Shwt wyt ti?” (SW)
- the formal or plural “Sut ‘dach chi?” (NW) / “Shwt ‘ych chi?” (SW)
The Welsh word for Grandmother – Nain or Mam-gu?
Depending on where you live in Wales, there are different ways of saying “grandmother” in Welsh.
The Welsh Word for Welcome – Croeso!
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.
10 Ways to Say “I’m fine, thanks!” in Welsh Besides “Iawn, diolch!”
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!