The Welsh word for flying or to fly is the verb-noun hedfan. Any time I’ve taught someone this word I’ve told them to remember it by using the name of Harry Potter’s owl, Hedwig! hedfan to fly Sadly, there’s no etymological relationship between these two words! While Hedwig is an old German women’s name, hedfan ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Hedfan (to fly) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
The harsh, hissing sound of the Welsh word hyll has always struck me as a great representation of what it actually means: ugly. hyll ugly You can use hyll to describe masculine, feminine and plural nouns. Although hell is technically the feminine form, it’s not common at all. Hyllion is a bit more familiar, but ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Hyll (ugly) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
Today’s Welsh word of the day is heddwch, which means peace. It’s hard to think of a more pleasant concept to discuss, so let’s dive right in! heddwch peace If you’re interested in pre-modern Welsh poetry and music, you may well have come across the word hedd, a synonym. In fact, hedd is the older ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Heddwch (peace) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
Are you fascinated by the wonders of the human corff (body), or the mysteries of gronynnau isatomig (sub-atomic particles)? If it stretches the ymennydd (brain) to talk about gwyddoniaeth (science) in English, let’s kick it up a notch and try discussing this worthy intellectual pursuit in Welsh! gwyddoniaeth science This is a feminine noun, and ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Gwyddoniaeth (science) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
Way back in the day before cyfrifiaduron (computers), I would have had to ysgrifennu (writing) this erthygl (article) with papur (paper), ysgrifbin (pen) and a geiriadur (dictionary). Now that I have a cyfrifiadur (computer) for ysgrifennu and ymchwilio (researching), things are much more convenient! cyfrifiadur a computer cyfrifiaduron computers Cyfrifiadur is a masculine noun. It ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Cyfrifiadur (computer) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
Today’s Welsh word of the day is allwedd, meaning key. It’s as useful a word as the object it describes! It’s a feminine noun, and the plural form is allweddi or allweddau, depending on context, region, and personal preference. allwedd key Until I started writing this article, I hadn’t even realised that it’s largely dialectal. ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Allwedd (key) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
Today’s word of the day is the simple cryf, meaning strong. It’s an adjective, although historically it has been sometimes used as a noun to mean a very strong man. cryf strong As with many old Welsh words, the meaning can be more flexible and fluid than you might expect. In every day conversation, it’s ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Cryf (strong) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
The Welsh word estyn is used in a variety of ways, to mean reach, stretch, give, or pass. But its most basic meaning, covering the majority of ways in which it’s used in everyday Welsh, is to extend. estyn extend Did you spot a similarity between this word and its English translation? If so, you’d ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Estyn (to extend) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
I’ve always found it rather charming that in both Welsh and English, the word for a brief spell of rain is the same as the device most of us use to wash with in the bathroom. In Welsh, that word is cawod. It can be pluralised as either cawodau or cawodydd. In my experience, the ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Cawod (shower) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
Nobody’s perfect – we’ve all done things that were a bit silly or careless at one time or another. I certainly have my fair share of those regrets, and I have to admit, most of them happened when I was yn fy arddegau (in my teens). But the blynyddoedd arddegol (teenage years) aren’t all bad. ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
Do you have a hoff liw (favourite colour)? A lot of people go for porffor (purple). In Welsh as in English, this word functions mainly as an adjective, though it can also be used as a masculine noun. porffor purple It’s no coincidence that porffor starts with the letter p, just like the English translation. ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
Whether it’s on the way to the swyddfa (office), or in a desperate hurry to catch a trên (train), we’ve all been in a situation where we need to rush. The word rush in English generally conveys two things – that we’re under time pressure to do something, and that we’re moving very fast in ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
When you’re learning a new iaith (language), it’s tempting to focus on memorising lots of nouns and adjectives. They’re easier to relate to everyday life, and much less likely to present confusing grammatical challenges. But adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions are just as important. They’re key if you ever want to be able to use Welsh ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
When learning a new language, the numbers one to ten are definitely some of the most useful words to have in your arsenal! Today we’re going to talk about the Welsh number pump, which means five. pump five In old Welsh writings, this word was more likely to appear as pymp or pimp, but pump ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
The Welsh word meaning to move is symud, although as you’ll see, it’s not really as broad as its English equivalent. Read on to discover when to use it and when to symud i ffwrdd (move away) from this simple word! symud to move The above clip is me pronouncing symud in my mid-Wales accent. ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
Despite not seeing it very often, the Welsh have more than one word for that lovely white stuff that occasionally falls out of the sky during the cold months of the year! The most common term for snow in Welsh is eira, a word which most learners will have encountered in their textbook at some ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
Sometimes the littlest words are the most useful! One example of a ‘little word’ that can definitely come in handy when speaking Welsh is er. In English, people tend to use this word when they’re not sure what to say next. In Welsh, it means although. er although The exact same word exists in Cornish, ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
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As with many other languages, the type of Welsh you use in conversation depends on who you’re speaking to. This mainly comes down to the distinction between formal and informal speech. Formal speech is typically used when addressing someone older than you, someone you don’t know personally, or someone in a professional or service role. ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
Travelling to Wales for the first time and want to know a few handy phrases to get by? Or maybe you’ve travelled to Wales before and want to refresh your memory? Learning just a few simple sentences will make your trip worthwhile, as it shows that you respect the Welsh language as well as the ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
Are you ready to dive into the enchanting world of the Welsh language? Here we explore ten intriguing facts about Welsh that you may not have known. Join us on a journey to discover the distinctive features and cultural significance of Welsh, a language that embodies the spirit of Wales! Wales has one of the ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
Learning Welsh or Cymraeg in this era has become remarkably accessible, thanks to numerous Welsh language courses and apps designed for all age groups. There are various compelling reasons to learn Welsh, and it holds greater significance than ever, especially considering the Welsh Government’s ambitious goal to have a million people proficient in Welsh by ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
Learning greetings is often one of the initial steps in acquiring a new language. Here I’ve compiled a list of key Welsh greetings, or cyfarchion Cymraeg, to aid you on your Welsh language venture. The following greetings are particularly relevant for informal settings, such as interactions with friends, family, or those you’re at ease with. ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
Have you recently brought a new ci (dog in Welsh) into your home and find yourself grappling with the perfect name? Or perhaps you’re just intrigued by the most prevalent Welsh dog names? Look no further, as this blog post is your go-to guide for the most common dog names in Welsh. Research indicates that ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
