Posted on 26/07/2019 by David
The Welsh language is something really quite special, and despite the stories that no one actually speaks Welsh anymore around a fifth of the population still speak the language. Welsh remains in the core curriculum for children in Wales, and this is something which has been pushed – ensuring children keep in touch with their heritage.
We all know the Welsh hello, ‘Bore da’ (bore-rare-daa) and slow, ‘araf’ but let’s look at some useful phrases (and the phonetics) you can use whilst you’re out and about in Wales. Remember, an ‘ll’ in Welsh is pronounced almost like ‘chl’. It’s okay – you’ll get there with some practice!
Here are some basic words to wow your friends with…
- Good afternoon – p’nawn da (p-knaw-n-dah)
- Thank you - Diolch (Dee-olck)
- Please – Os gwelwch yn dda (Os-g’wel-ooCH-un-Ddah)
- I’m *name* - David dw i (David-d-wee)
- How are you? – S’mae? (s-my?)
- Do you speak English? - Ydych chi'n siarad Saesneg? (UD-ich ch'een sharad SIS-neg?)
- How much is this? – Faint yw hwn? (Vy-nt yoo hoon?)
- May I have a cup of tea? – Ga I baned o de? (gah ee bah-ned oh day?)
- May I pay please? – Ga I dalu, os gwylwch yn dda? (gah ee dah-li oss goo-ell-oock uh-n tha)
- May I see the menu? – Ga I weld y fwydlen? (gah ee weld uh voo-eed-len?)
- Might as well – Man a man a mwnci (Man ah man ah moon-key)
- Soup – cawl (cah-ool)
- Would you like a drink? – Gymerwch chi lymed (Gum-er-wck-ee l-uhm-ed)
- I’d like a beer, please – Hoffwn I gwrw, os gwelwch yn dda (paint o gooroo, os gooehloch uhn the)
- Where is the…?- Ble mae…? (ble may…?)
And of course, saving the best until last – the place that everyone really wants to be able to say…
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (Llan-fair-pwll-gwyn-gyll-go-ger-ych-wyrn-drob-wll-llane-ty-silio-go-go-goch) - also known as Llanfair PG!
If you’re visiting Wales, why not brush up on your Welsh? We’re sorry to say that microwave isn’t actually ‘popty ping’ despite popty meaning oven, it is actually ‘meicrodon’!
What’s your favourite thing to say in Welsh? Let us know in the comments below…