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 one of those words that sparks conversation 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.

Since 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