Welsh Word of the Day: Cacen (cake)

‘Cacen’ is the Welsh word for ‘cake,’ and in the south Wales dialect, you can also use ‘teisen.’ Additionally, ‘teisen’ is heard in some parts of north Wales, particularly on Ynys Môn – the Isle of Anglesey. In certain areas of north Wales, especially in the west and parts of Conwy county, variations like ‘cacan’ are commonly used. This practice is also observed on the Isle of Anglesey, where the variation ‘teisan’ replaces the ‘e’ with an ‘a’ – a common linguistic feature among many Welsh speakers in parts of north Wales. In parts of south Wales, it’s typical to hear the variation ‘tishen’.

The plural of ‘cacen‘ or ‘teisen‘ is ‘cacennau‘ or ‘teisennau‘, and in certain parts of south Wales, you might come across the variation ‘cacs,’ although some may find it unpleasant for obvious reasons! Substituting ‘e‘ with ‘a‘ as mentioned earlier doesn’t quite apply the same way to the plural form, but you’ll hear people saying ‘cacenna‘ or ‘teisenna,’ dropping the ‘u.’ Some may casually use ‘cêcs‘ in their conversations, which is the Welsh slang for ‘cakes.’ It’s indeed one of those words that sparks conversations due to its unique variations!

In Wales, you’ll find people enjoying cake during ‘amser te,’ which is ‘tea time‘ in the afternoon, typically between 3 and 4pm. This takes the form of ‘te prynhawn‘ or ‘afternoon tea‘ in English, usually consisting of various cakes and often including sandwiches, accompanied by tea or coffee.

As ‘cacen’ or ‘teisen’ is a feminine noun, don’t forget to mutate the word that comes after it (if needed).

Here are a few examples:

• Cacen / teisen gri – Welsh cake
• Cacen / teisen foron – Carrot cake
• Cacen / teisen briodas – Wedding cake
• Cacen / teisen datws – Potato cake
• Cacen / teisen ffrwythau / bara brith – Fruit cake / currant bread
• Cacen fraith – Currant bread (heard in spoken Welsh in Powys)
• Cacen / teisen Aberffro – Shortbread
• Cacen / teisen Nadolig – Christmas cake