• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

We Learn Welsh

  • Home
  • Words
  • Grammar
  • Reviews
  • Blog
  • Privacy Policy
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
  • About Me
  • Contact Me

How to Say “Wales” in the Welsh Language

November 26, 2019 By Heather Go to Comments

The Welsh word for Wales is Cymru which comes from the Welsh name for the people of Wales, Cymry.

Mae Cymru yn wlad mor brydferth.

Wales is such a beautiful country.

Both words are descended from the Brythonic word combrogi which means compatriots. It is suspected that it came into use sometime before the 7th century and was used to describe not only the people of modern Wales but also northern England and southern Scotland. The names Cumbria (a county in England), Cambria, and Cumberland are all derived from the same word.

welsh-word-for-dragon-ddraig-draig

The word for North Wales is Gogledd Cymru whereas the south is referred to as De Cymru. Gorllewin Cymru and Dwyrain Cymru are West and East Wales respectively.

Fun fact: The word ‘Wales’ derives from the old English Wealh (singular) / Wēalas (plural) which in turn derives from the Proto-Germanic walhaz, the word used to refer to any inhabitant of the Western Roman Empire. The Anglo-Saxons who invaded Britain used the word to describe the Britons and the plural form came to describe the name of their territory, Wales.


How to Pronounce Wales in Welsh

Cymru is pronounced [ˈkəmri] in the south and [‘kəmrɨ̞]* in the north. For those of you who cannot read IPA, it sounds a bit like kum–ree. You can hear the correct northern pronunciation by listening to the audio samples in the video below.

*To learn about the difference in pronunciation between [i] (south) and [ɨ̞] (north) in Welsh, check out the video below.

If you want to say “in Wales”, things become a bit tricker due to the hard-to-pronounce mutations: yn (in) + Cymru = yng Nghymru. You can refer back to the first video to hear how to pronounce it properly.

Dw i’n byw yng Nghymru ers dwy flynedd.

I’ve lived in Wales for two years.

As for “to Wales” and “from Wales”, simply mutate Cymru into Gymru and place the prepositions i (to) and o (from) in front.

Dw i’n symud i Gymru i weithio.

I’m moving to Wales to work.

Dw i’n dod o Gymru.

I come from Wales.


Useful phrases featuring the word Cymru

  • Well done, Wales! = Da iawn, Cymru!
  • Wales forever! = Cymru am byth!
  • Good luck, Wales! = Pob lwc, Cymru!
  • I love Wales! = Dw i’n caru Cymru!
  • Made in Wales = Wedi’i wneud yng Nghymru
  • Come on, Wales! = Dewch ymlaen, Cymru!

Filed Under: Words

Previous Post: « Learn the Welsh for Nanny and Grandad
Next Post: The Tradition of the Welsh Christmas Horse Skull: Mari Lwyd in Dinas Mawddwy »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • 10 Wonderfully Weird Welsh Words & Expressions
  • How to Say “Good Morning!” in Welsh – Bore da!
  • How to Say “Police” in Welsh – Heddlu
  • How to Say “Please” in Welsh – Os gwelwch yn dda
  • How to Say “Good luck!” in Welsh – Pob lwc!

Who am I? Pwy ydw i?

S'mae! My name is Heather and I've been learning Welsh in Mid Wales for approximately four years. I'm delighted you've decided to follow me on my language learning journey! Read More…

Join our friendly Facebook group for those learning the Welsh language! We share a new word of the day every day to help you improve your vocabulary. Wela i chi yno! 🙂

Join the Ymarfer Club in Tywyn! / Ymunwch â’r Clwb Ymarfer yn Nhywyn!

Copyright © 2019-2021 We Learn Welsh Heather Broster / Mathieu Gasquet

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT