The Welsh verb meaning to drink or drinking is yfed. It’s pronounced like this: yfed to drink But some people in the South say this instead: Yfed comes from the Old Welsh iben, and much, much, further back, from the proto-Indo-European root *pibeti. There’s no evolution in meaning, with the word having always referred to ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Yfed (to drink) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
Llestri is the plural form of llestr, which has a range of definitions relating to different kinds of vessels. But on a day-to-day basis, it more often than not refers to dishes, or crockery generally. llestri dishes / vessels llestr a dish / a vessel As a singular noun, llestr is masculine. It comes from ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Llestri (dishes) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
I was mostly quite a good disgybl (pupil) in school. I got good grades in arholiadau (exams / assessments) and was polite to athrawon (teachers). However, I did have one serious weakness, which was my presenoldeb (attendance) record! The Welsh word to describe my frequent days away from yr ysgol (school) is absennol (absent). absennol ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Absennol (absent) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
Today’s Welsh word of the day is babi, which means a baby. It’s a masculine noun – most nouns describing kinds of people tend to default to the masculine in Welsh –which pluralises to babis (babies). babi baby Babi is really a variant on baban, an older and more formal version form of the word. ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Babi (baby) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
Swimming is well known as one of the best forms of exercise for overall fitness, improving iechyd cardiofasgwlaidd (cardiovascular health) and strengthening cyhyrau (muscles) whilst also being relaxing and low impact. The Welsh word for this satisfying pastime is nofio. nofio to swim Nofio comes from the Middle Welsh noun nawf. It can function as ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Nofio (to swim) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
It’s a well-known phenomenon for Welsh words or phrases that are only used as a jôc (joke) or slang to be misrepresented to the rest of the world as standard, everyday words. One infamous example is the pysgod wibli-wobli (jellyfish), usually called sglefren fôr, seren bigog, or cont y môr in Welsh. (The last, though ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Ffrwchnedd (banana / bananas) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
If you asked ten people what they think the most important gair (word) to learn in a new iaith (language) is, there’s not a bad chance you’d get ten different answers! Personally, I’m in the diolch (thank you) camp. It’s one that you need to say in almost every single conversation, especially if you’re exploring ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Shwmae (hi / how are you) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
Gwawr is the Welsh word for dawn, and also a fairly popular girl’s name. It may also be used to mean sunrise, although that is technically the literal translation codiad haul. The plural can be either gwawriau or gwawroedd. gwawr dawn gwawriau dawns Though they sound very different, gwawr is actually a cognate to some ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Gwawr (dawn) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
The word tyfu in Welsh means to grow. It’s just like the English in that it can refer to all kinds of twf (growth), from the biological, to the financial, to the spiritual. And it can also be used for causing something to grow or helping something to grow. tyfu to grow The origin of ... Read more The post Welsh Word of the Day: Tyfu (to grow) appeared first on We Learn Welsh.| We Learn Welsh
Did you know that chwerthin (laughing) actually originally evolved as a form of communication? That’s why we’re more likely to chwerthin at a jôc (joke) told by a ffrind (friend) than someone we don’t know. chwerthin to laugh This word can be tricky to pronounce because it starts with the unique letter ch, which is ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
Today’s Welsh word of the day is llyffant, pluralised as either llyffaint or llyffantod. It can mean toad or frog depending on whether you’re in South or North Wales, and its etymology is unclear. You can also use it as an insult – like how we call someone a toad in English if we think ... Read more| We Learn Welsh
Today’s Welsh word of the day is parchus. It can be a little confusing, as it carries the dual meaning of both respectable and respectful. Which interpretation a native speaker naturally leans toward often depends on where in Wales they’re from. parchus respectable / respectful Those who primarily use parchus to mean respectful will often ... Read more| 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
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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
