'''Welsh''' (Welsh: ''Cymraeg'') is a language spoken by around 21% of the population in Wales in addition to English. It is also spoken by several thousand people in the Chubut province of Argentina, as well as by substantial numbers of people scattered around the world. All Welsh speakers old enough to attend school in Wales also speak English, while those in Argentina speak Spanish.

Pronunciation guide

Welsh is a relatively phonetic language, with most letters having only one pronunciation. Complications arise with the various double consonants, particularly "dd" which is represented in English as "th" as in "breathe", while "th" is represented in English as "th" as in "think"; "ll" is a famously difficult (and common) sound for non-Welsh speakers to produce - made by positioning the tongue at the top front of the mouth and blowing, and represented here as "lh". "Ch" is ''always'' pronounced like the German name "Bach" or the Scottish "loch"; the sound which appears in the English word ''"church"'' is represented by "ts".

There are relatively minor pronunciation differences between northern and southern Welsh, most notably that "i" and "u" are two distinct sounds in the north, while in the south both letters are pronounced as "i".

Unless overridden by an accent mark, the stress in Welsh words always falls on the last but one syllable of a word. As syllables get added to words, for example to denote a plural or a female person of a particular occupation, the sound of a word can change dramatically.

Welsh is written in a version of the Latin alphabet containing 28 letters, including 8 digraphs which count as separate letters for collating purposes (and crossword puzzles): a, b, c, ch, d, dd, e, f, ff, g, ng, h, i, l, ll, m, n, o, p, ph, r, rh, s, t, th, u, w, y.

The letters j and v do not exist in normal Welsh usage, but have been adopted from English for limited use e.g. in personal names. "K" is regarded as redundant in Welsh as the sound is always represented by "c", but it is found in the prefix "kilo-", although "cilo-" is always acceptable.

Grammatically, Welsh is relatively complex with two grammatical genders, masculine and feminine, which all nouns are assigned to, and also masculine and feminine forms of the numbers "two" "three" and "four" which have to match the gender of the object being counted; there are also two separate counting systems, decimal (base 10) and the more traditional vigesimal (base 20). The phenomenon of ''mutation'' is a characteristic of the Celtic languages, where the initial letters of words change depending on the grammar of the sentence, which can make tracking words down in a dictionary difficult.

Vowels

Vowels in Welsh can have accent marks, most commonly the circumflex (^), called the ''to bach (little roof)'', which lengthens the sound of the vowel, and the acute (´), which shortens it. Occasionally the diaresis appears on the letter i, to signify a doubling of the sound. Vowel sounds tend to resemble those of major continental European languages rather than English.

There are seven vowels in Welsh, which have both short and long forms: ; a : like "a" in "and" ; e : like "eh" ; i : like "ee" in "see" ; o : like "oh" ; u : like a very tight, frontal "oo" sound (purse your lips as if to say "oo" as in "soon" but try and say "ee") ; w : like "oo" as in "moon" ; y : either "uh", or like "ee" in "see" (note that the short form varies depending on where it is in the word. If "y" is in the final syllable and is followed by a consonant, it's pronounced like the "i" in "bin". A common example containing both short forms is the word for valley, ''dyffryn'', which is pronounced "DUFF-rin")

Consonants

; b : like "b" in "bed" ; c : like "c" in "cat" ; ch : like "ch" in German ''"Bach"'' or Scottish ''"loch"'' ; d : like "d" in "death" ; dd : like "th" in "the" ; f : like "v" in "van" ; ff : like "f" in "fun" ; g : like "g" in "garden" ; ng : like "ng" in "pong" ; h : like "h" in "heart" ; l : like "l" in "link" ; ll : place the tongue at the top of the mouth, and blow. ; m : like "m" in "meet" ; n : like "n" in "news" ; p : like "p" in "pen" ; ph : like "f" in "fun"; only found in words of Greek origin, or at the beginning of words as a mutated "p". ; r : like "r" in "range" ; rh : an aspirated, breathy "r" ; s : like "s" in "state" ; t : like "t" in "time" ; th : like "th" in "think"

Common diphthongs

; ae : ''aaye'' (long "a" sound) in the north; like "eye" in the south. ; ai : like "eye" ; au : like "aye", with a rounded closing sound. When used as the plural marker, often pronounced "ah" in the north and "eh" in the south. ; aw : like "ow!" ; ei : like "ey" in "hey!" ; eu : like "ey" in "hey!", but with a rounded closing sound. ; ew : like "eh-oo" said quickly. ; ey : like "ey" in "hey!" ; iw : like "you" ; oe : like "oy" in "boy" ; oi : like "oy" in "boy" ; ou : like "oy" in "boy" ; uw : like "you" ; wy : like "oo-ee" ; yw : like "you" The differences between some of the dipthongs are very subtle and virtually indistinguishable.

Phrase list

Basics

; Hello. : Helo. (''Hello'') ; Hello. (''informal'') : S'mae? (''s-my?'' (north) ''shoo-my?'' (south)) ; How are you? : S'mae? (''s-my?'' (north) ''shoo-my?'' (south)) ; Fine, thank you. : iawn, diolch. (''yown, dee-ol'ch'') ; What is your name? : Be' dy'ch enw chi? (''bay di'ch enoo ch'ee?'') ; My name is ______ . : ______ yw f'enw i. (''_____ you ven-oo ee.'') ; Nice to meet you. : Braf cwrdd a chi. (''Brahv corth ah khi'') ; Please. : Os gwelwch chi'n dda. ('' '') ; Thank you [very much]. : Diolch [yn fawr]. (''dee-ol'ch [un vowr]'') ; You're welcome. : Croeso. (''CROY-so'') ; There are no exact equivalents of "yes" and "no" in Welsh; the concept is conveyed grammatically by indicating agreement or disagreement e.g. "yes there is" or "no there is not", which is said in different ways depending on how the question was phrased. If the question begins "Oes...?" or "A oes...?" (''"Is there...?"'') then the reply is "oes" or "nac oes"; if the question begins "Ydy...?" (''"Is...?"'') or a construct beginning with "ydy" e.g. "Ydych...?" (''"Do you...?"'') then the reply is "ydy" or "nac ydy": ; Yes. : Oes. (''oyss''); Ydy (''UD-ee''); Ie (''ee-yeah'') ; No. : Nac oes. (''nak oyss'' or ''nag oyss''); Nac ydy (''nac-UD-ee'', ''nag-ud-ee'', or ''NAG-dee''), Na (''Nah'') ; Excuse me. (''getting attention'') : Esgusodwch fi. (''es-gis-OD-oo'ch vee'') ; Excuse me. (''begging pardon'') : Esgusodwch fi. (''es-gis-OD-oo'ch vee'') ; I'm sorry. : Mae ddrwg gen i. (''My th'roog gen ee'') ; Goodbye : Ffarwel. (''far-WEL '') ; Goodbye (''informal'') : Da bo chi. (''Da BO ch'ee'') ''(a contraction of "Duw bu gydach chi" - "God be with you")'' ; I can't speak Welsh [well]. : Alla i ddim siarad Cymraeg [yn dda]. (''alh'a ee thim sharad kym-RYE-g [un tha]'') ; Do you speak English? : Ydych chi'n siarad Saesneg? (''UD-ich ch'een sharad SIS-neg?'') ; Is there someone here who speaks English? : Oes rhywun yma sy'n siarad Saesneg? (''Oyss reew-in umma seen sharad sis-neg?'') ; Help! : Help! ('' !'') ; Look out! : Hendiwch! (''HEN-dyoo'ch!'') ; Good morning. : Bore da. (''BOR-eh da'') ; Good evening. : Noswaith dda. (''NOSS-why-th tha'') ; Good night. : Nos da. (''NOHS da'') ; Good night (''to sleep'') : Nos da. ('' '') ; I don't understand. : Dwi ddim yn deall. ('' '') ; Where is the toilet? : Ble' mae'r toiled? (''Blay my'r toy-led?'')

Problems

Numbers

; 1 : un (''een'') ; 2 : dau (''die'') (m); dwy (''doo-ey'') (f) ; 3 : tri (''tree'') (m); tair (''tire'') (f) ; 4 : pedwar (''PED-war'') (m); pedair (''PED-ire'') (f) ; 5 : pump (''pimp'') ; 6 : chwech (''ch'way'ch'' or ''ch'way'') ; 7 : saith (''scyth'') ; 8 : wyth (''oo-ith'') ; 9 : naw (''now'') ; 10 : deg (''day-g'' or ''deng'') ;''From this point, the first term is the vigesimal form, the second is the decimal form. Replace "dau", "tri" and "pedwar" with "dwy", "tair", and "pedair" as appropriate. ; 11 : un ar ddeg (''een ar thayg''); un deg un ; 12 : deuddeg (''DAY-theg'' or ''DAY-theng'')' un deg dau ; 13 : tri ar ddeg (''tree ar thayg''); un deg tri ; 14 : pedwar ar ddeg (''PED-war ar thayg''); un deg pedwar ; 15 : pumtheg (''PUM-theg''); un deg pump ; 16 : un ar bumtheg (''een ar BUM-theg''); un deg chwech ; 17 : dau ar bumtheg (''die ar BUM-theg''); un deg saith ; 18 : deunaw (''DAY-now''); un deg wyth ; 19 : pedwar ar bymtheg (''PED-war ar BUM-theg''); un deg naw ; 20 : ugain (''IG-ine''); dau ddeg ; 21 : un ar ugain (''een ar IG-ine''); dau ddeg un ; 22 : dau ar ugain (''die ar IG-ine''); dau ddeg dau ; 23 : tri ar ugain (''tree ar IG-ine''); dau ddeg tri ; 30 : deg ar ugain (''DAYG ar IG-ine''); tri ddeg ; 40 : deugain (''DAY-gine''); pedwar deg ; 50 : hanner cant (''HAN-ner kant''); pum' deg ; 60 : trigain (''TRIG-ine''); chwe' deg ; 70 : deg a thrigain (''DAYG ah THRIG-ine''); saith deg ; 80 : pedwar ugain (''PED-war IG-ine''); wyth deg ; 90 : deg a phedwar ugain (''DAYG ah FED-war IG-ine''); naw deg ; 91 : un ar ddeg a phedwar ugain (''een ar thayg ah FED-war IG-ine''); naw deg un ; 100 : cant (''KANT'') ; 200 : dau gant (''die gant'') (m); dwy chant (''doo-ey ch'ant'') (f) ; 300 : tri chant (''tree ch'ant'') ; 1000 : mil (''meel'') ; 2000 : dau mil (''die meel'') (m); dwy fil (''doo-ey veel'') (f) ; 1,000,000 : miliwn (''MIL-ioon'') ; number _____ (''train, bus, etc.'') : rhif _____ (''REEV'') ; half : hanner (''HAN-ner'') ; less : llai (''lhie'') ; more : mwy (''MOO-ee'')

Time

; now : rwan (''ROO-an''); nawr (''NOW-r'') ; later : hwyrach (''HOOIR-ach'') ; before : cyn (''kin'') ; after : wedi (''weddy'') ; morning : bore (''BOR-eh'') ; in the morning : yn y fore (''un uh VOR-eh'') ; afternoon : prynhawn (''PRUN-hown'') - commonly pronounced ''p'nown'' ; evening : min nos (''meen nohs''); noson (''nosson'') ; in the evening: yn y fin nos (''un uh veen nohs'') ; night : nos (''nohs'')

Clock time

; one o'clock AM : un o'r gloch y bore (''een oh'r glo'ch uh bor-eh'') - 1:00 y.b.; 01:00 ; two o'clock AM : dau o'r gloch y bore (''die oh'r glo'ch uh bor-eh'') - 2:00 y.b.; 02:00 ; noon : hanner dydd (''HAN-ner DEE-th'') - 12:00 ; one o'clock PM, <nowiki>13:00</nowiki> : un o'r gloch y p'nawn (''een oh'r glo'ch uh p'nown'') - 1:00 y.p.; 13:00 ; two o'clock PM, <nowiki>14:00</nowiki> : dau o'r gloch y p'nawn (''die oh'r glo'ch uh p'nown'') - 2:00 y.p.; 14:00 ; quarter to seven, <nowiki>18:45</nowiki> : chwarter i saith ; quarter past seven, <nowiki>19:15</nowiki> : chwarter wedi saith ; half past seven, <nowiki>19:30</nowiki> :hanner wedi saith ; midnight : hanner nos (''HAN-ner nohs'')

Duration

; _____ minute(s) : _____ munud(au) (''MINNID(ie)'') ; _____ hour(s) : _____ awr, ''pl.'' oriau (''our'', plural ''OR-yai'') ; _____ day(s) : _____ dydd(iau) (''DEEth'', plural ''DUTH-yai'') ; _____ week(s) : _____ wythnos(au) (''OOITH-noss'', plural ''ooith-NOSS-eye'') ; _____ month(s) : _____ mis(au) (''mees'', plural ''MIS-eye'') ; _____ year(s) : _____ blwyddyn, ''pl.'' blynyddau (''BLOOITH-in'', plural ''blun-UTH-eye'') ; daily : dyddiadol (''duh-THIAD-ol'') ; weekly : wythnosol (''ooith-NOSS-ol'') ; monthly : misol (''MEES-ol'') ; yearly : blynyddol (''bluh-NUTH-ol'')

Days

; today : heddiw (''HETH-you'') ; yesterday : ddoe (''THOY'') ; the day before yesterday : echddoe (''ECH-thoy'') ; tomorrow : yfory (''uh-VOR-ee'') ; this week : wythnos hon (''WITH-nos hon'') ; last week : wythnos olaf (''WITH-nos ollav'' ''(commonly pronounced "olla'")'') ; next week : wythnos nesaf (''WITH-nos NESS-av'' ''(commonly pronounced "nessa'")'')

; Sunday : Dydd Sul (''deeth seel'') ; Monday : Dydd Llun (''deeth lheen'') ; Tuesday : Dydd Mawrth (''deeth MOW-rth'') ; Wednesday : Dydd Mercher (''deeth MER-cher'') ; Thursday : Dydd Iau (''deeth IAI'') ; Friday : Dydd Gwener (''deeth GWEN-er'') ; Saturday : Dydd Sadwrn (''deeth SAD-oorn'')

Months

; January : Ionawr (''ION-our'') ; February : Chwefror (''CHWEV-ror'') ; March : Mawrth (''MOWRTH'') ; April : Ebrill (''EB-rilh'') ; May : Mai (''MY'') ; June : Mehefin (''me-HEV-in'') ; July : Gorffennaf (''gor-FEN-nav'') ; August : Awst (''OWST'') ; September : Medi (''MED-ee'') ; October : Hydref (''HUD-rev'') ; November : Tachwedd (''TACH-wedd'') ; December : Rhagfyr (''RAG-vir'')

Writing time and date

Dates are written day/month/year. So if you see 04-12-2003, you know that's ''y pedwerydd o Rhagfyr'', not April 12. A date (18-12-1963) fully spelled out is ''y deunawfed o Rhagfyr mil naw chwe' thri'' (you specify the number of thousands, then the individual number of the hundreds, tens, and units; for years from 2000 onwards say "dwy fil" (two thousand) followed by the significant number, omitting the zeroes - thus 2005 is "dwy fil a pump" (two thousand and five), compared with 1987 which was "mil naw wyth saith" ((one) thousand nine eight seven). Ordinals are :1st - 1af, cyntaf :2nd - 2il, ail :3rd - 3ydd, trydydd :4th - 4ydd, pedwerydd :5th - 5ed, pumed :6th - 6fed or 6ed, chwechfed :7th - 7fed or 7ed, saithfed :8th - 8fed or 8ed, wythfed :9th - 9fed or 9ed, nawfed :10th - 10fed or 10ed, degfed

Times are either written in the 24 hour clock or with hours and minutes separated by a colon or dot and suffixed by "y.b." (y bore) or "y.p." (y p'nawn), equivalent to "a.m." and "p.m.".

Colors

; black : du (''dee'') ; white : gwyn (m) / gwen (f) (''gwin/gwen'') ; gray : llwyd (''lh'oo-id'') ; red : coch (''KO'ch'') ; blue : glas (''glaas'') - ''note that this word is also used to describe the colour of grass.'' ; yellow : melyn (''MELLIN'') ; green : gwyrdd (m) / gwerdd (f) (''gwirth/gwer'th'') ; orange : oren (''ORRen'') ; purple : porffor ''or'' glascoch (''POR-for'' or ''GLASko'ch'') ; brown : brown (''brown'')

Transportation

Bus and train

; How much is a ticket to _____? : Praint yw tocyn i _____ ? (''pry-nt yoo tok-in ee'') ; One ticket to _____, please. : Tocyn i _____, os gwelwch yn dda. (''tok-in ee ____ oss gwel-ookh un tha'') ; Where does this train/bus go? : Ble 'dy trên/bws hon yn mynd? (''blay dee train/boos honn yn mind?'') ; Where is the train/bus to _____? : Ble mae'r trên/bws i _____ ? (''blay mire train/boos i ____'') ; Does this train/bus stop in _____? : Ydy'r trên/bws hon yn galw yn _____ ? (''Uh deer train/bws honn un ga-loo un _____'') ; When does the train/bus for _____ leave? : Pryd mae'r trên/bws i ______ yn ymadael? (''preed my-r train/boos i _______ un umm-ad-ile'') ; When will this train/bus arrive in _____? : Pryd fydd y trên/bws hon yn cyrraedd _____ ? (''preed veeth uh train/boos honn un kurr-ithe _____'') ;a one-way ticket: tocyn unig ;a round trip ticket: tocyn dwy ffordd

Directions

; Where is the _____? : Ble mae'r _____ ? (''blay my'r _____'') ; North : y Gogledd (''uh GOG-leth''') ; South : y De (''uh DAY'') ; East : y Ddwyrain (''uh THOOY-rine'') ; West : y Gorllewin (''uh gor-LH'EW-in'')

Taxi

; Taxi : Tacsi

Lodging

; Hotel : Gwesty ; Bed & Breakfast : Gwely a Brecwast ; Campsite : Gwersyll, Maes Gwersylla ; tent : pabell (pl: pebyll) ; caravan : carafan ; self-catering : hunan arlwy

Money

; Pound : Punt ; Penny : Ceiniog

Eating

; Milk : Llaeth (south), Llefrith (north) ; Bread : Bara ; Chips (fries) : Sglodion ; Fish : Pysgod ; Fish'n'chips : 'Sgod a Sglod ; Cheese : Caws ; Sausage : Selsig ; Cake : Cacen, Teisen ; Chocolate : Siocled ; Coffee : Coffi ; Tea : Te ; Water : Dwr

Bars

; Pub : Tafarn ; Cheers (''good health'') : Iechyd da ; Beer : Cwrw ; Bitter : Chwerw ; Wine : Gwin ; White wine : Gwin gwyn ; Red wine : Gwin coch ; Half a bottle : haner potel ; Crisps (''potato chips'') : Creision (Tatws) ; Nuts : Cneu ; whisky : chwisgi ; vodka : fodca ; rum : rym

Shopping

Siopiau-shops

siop-shop

penis-pydyn

rydw i'n hoffy pydyn mochyn daer sugyn- i like sucking badger penis

Ydych chi'n dori ac yn dwat? Do you have the Telegraph?

Driving

Oes na orsaf petrol fan hyn? Is there a petrol station here?

Ble mae'r ffordd i'r Pandy? Where's the road to Pandy?

Mae'r ffordd drwy Gwersyllt yn gyflymach. The road via Gwersyllt is quicker.

Ceisiwch osgoi Cefn-y-Bedd. Try to avoid Cefn-y-Bedd.

Oes ffordd perta i fynd i Frymbo? Is there a prettier route to Brymbo?

Trowch i'r chwith ger yr hen waith dur. Turn left at the old steel works.

Does dim byd yna i weld. Mae'r glofa Groesfford yn stad tai rwan. There's nothing to see there. The Gresford pithead is a housing estate now.

Mae na orsaf petrol yn Yr Orsedd ond mae Sainsburies yn dsiepach There's a petrol station in Rossett but Sainsburies is cheaper.

Gewch chi barcio yn Heol Hyfryd am ddim. You can park in Heol Hyfryd for free.

Paid a pharcio ym Mryn Hyfryd - mae'n ardal ryff. Don't park in Bryn Hyfryd it's a rough area.

Authority