Bwgan Brain: The Welsh Scarecrow in Folklore
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You do not need hundreds of words before you begin using Welsh. Ten familiar expressions can already help you greet people, be polite and recognise the language around you.
Pronunciation guides below are approximate. Listen to fluent speakers when possible and expect natural regional variation.
1. Shwmae-hello
Shwmae? is a friendly informal greeting, roughly pronounced SHOO-my. You may also hear shortened forms such as S’mae?.
Use it with friends, colleagues or people you meet casually. A simple reply can be Shwmae!
2. Diolch-thank you
An approximate pronunciation is DEE-olkh. The final ch is made at the back of the throat, like the sound in the Scottish word loch.
For “thank you very much,” say Diolch yn fawr.
3. Os gwelwch yn dda-please
This is the standard polite phrase meaning “please.” It literally has a structure closer to “if you see well,” but learners should treat it as one complete expression.
Add it to a request: Dŵr, os gwelwch yn dda-Water, please.
4. Bore da-good morning
Pronounce it roughly BOR-eh dah. It is suitable for shops, work, school and everyday conversation.
In the afternoon, use Prynhawn da.
5. Nos da-good night
Nos means night and da means good. Use it when leaving at the end of an evening or before bed.
6. Hwyl-fun, spirit or goodbye
Hwyl has several meanings connected with mood, enthusiasm and enjoyment. As a farewell, you may hear Hwyl! or Hwyl fawr!.
An approximate pronunciation is HOYL.
7. TĹ·-house
The circumflex, known in Welsh as a to bach, marks a long vowel here. Tŷ sounds roughly like “tee.”
A useful phrase is Croeso i’n tŷ ni-Welcome to our house.
8. Cariad-love or sweetheart
Cariad can describe love itself or be used affectionately for a person, rather like “love” or “darling” in everyday British English.
Fy nghariad means “my love.” The beginning changes because of nasal mutation.
9. Cymru-Wales
Pronounce it roughly KUM-ree. Cymru is the Welsh name for Wales and appears in sport, place names, organisations and public signs.
Cymraeg means the Welsh language.
10. Dŵr-water
An approximate pronunciation is DOOR, with a rolled or tapped Welsh r. The circumflex lengthens the vowel.
To order politely, say Ga i ddŵr, os gwelwch yn dda?-May I have water, please?
A note about “yes” and “no”
You will hear ie and na in informal speech, but Welsh answers often change to match the verb used in the question. Do not worry about mastering every form at the beginning.
Use Bore da in the morning, Diolch during the day and Nos da before bed.
A 60-second recall practice
Cover the English translations and say the Welsh for “hello”, “thank you” and “goodbye”. Then put one word into a real sentence you could use today.
Check the three words
Helo, diolch and hwyl.
Sources and image credits
- National Centre for Learning Welsh: Courses and learner resources
- Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru: Help for learners and tutors
- Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru: GPC Online
- Image rights: Legacy-image caution: some files may pre-date the visible credit system. Unless an image has a named creator, source and licence here, confirm those details in the Welsh Words records before reuse outside this page.
