100 Most Common Welsh Words You Need To Know
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Building a strong vocabulary is the fastest way to start speaking Welsh.
You only need a fraction of the language to understand the majority of everyday conversations.
Focusing on the highest-frequency words gives you a massive advantage as a beginner.
These 100 common Welsh words cover basic actions, everyday objects, and essential connecting words.
I’ve organized them into categories to make them easier to digest and remember.
Keep an eye out for minor regional differences between North and South Wales as you read.
Table of contents:
Pronouns
Pronouns are essential for pointing out who’s doing the action in a sentence.
In Welsh, there’s a clear difference between informal and formal ways of saying “you”.
You’ll also notice that the word for “he” changes depending on whether you’re in North Wales or South Wales.
| Welsh | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i | I | Used after verbs and prepositions. |
| ti | you (singular) | Informal, used with friends, family, and children. |
| chi | you (plural / formal) | Used for groups or to show respect to adults and strangers. |
| e / o | he / it | Use “e” in South Wales and “o” in North Wales. |
| hi | she / it | Also used for the weather (e.g., it’s raining). |
| ni | we | Pronounced like “knee” in English. |
| nhw | they | Pronounced like “noo” in English. |
Here’s a quick example of a pronoun in action:
Rydyn ni’n byw yng Nghymru.
Essential verbs
Verbs are action words that drive your sentences forward.
Welsh verbs are extremely versatile.
Many regional variations exist for common actions like “liking” or “being able to” do something.
| Welsh | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| bod | to be | The most important and irregular verb in Welsh. |
| gwneud | to do / to make | Often used as an auxiliary verb to talk about the past. |
| mynd | to go | Very common in daily speech. |
| dod | to come | Opposite of mynd. |
| cael | to have / to get | Used for receiving things or having experiences. |
| eisiau | to want | Technically a noun, but used like a verb. |
| hoffi / licio | to like | ”Hoffi” is standard/South, while “licio” is common in the North. |
| gallu / medru | to be able to / can | ”Gallu” is standard/South, while “medru” is common in the North. |
| gwybod | to know (a fact) | Used for facts and information. |
| nabod | to know (a person) | Used for being familiar with people or places. |
| meddwl | to think | Used for expressing opinions. |
| dweud | to say | Essential for recounting conversations. |
| gweld | to see | Often mutates to “weld” in speech. |
| clywed | to hear | Used for sounds and news. |
| edrych | to look | Usually followed by “ar” (at). |
| gweithio | to work | Used for jobs and functioning items. |
| dysgu | to learn / to teach | The context determines if you’re learning or teaching. |
| siarad | to speak | Crucial for language learners. |
| bwyta | to eat | Essential for meal times. |
| yfed | to drink | Essential for ordering beverages. |
Dw i eisiau dysgu Cymraeg.
Question words
Asking questions is the best way to keep a conversation going.
Placing these words at the start of your sentence instantly signals that you need an answer.
| Welsh | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| pwy | who | Used to ask about people. |
| beth | what | Often shortened to “be” in spoken Welsh. |
| ble / lle | where | ”Ble” is standard, but “lle” is very common in speech. |
| pryd | when | Used to ask about time or dates. |
| pam | why | Used to ask for reasons. |
| sut | how | Can also mean “what kind of”. |
| faint | how much / how many | Used for quantities and prices. |
| pa | which | Causes a soft mutation to the following word. |
Ble dych chi’n gweithio?
Connectors and prepositions
These small words act as the glue in Welsh sentences.
They connect your thoughts together so you don’t sound like a robot.
| Welsh | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| a / ac | and | Use “ac” before words starting with a vowel. |
| ond | but | Used to show contrast. |
| neu | or | Used to present options. |
| achos | because | Can also mean “cause” as a noun. |
| fel | like / as | Used for comparisons. |
| efo / gyda | with | ”Efo” is used in the North, and “gyda” in the South. |
| yn | in / at | Also used as a linking word before verbs and adjectives. |
| am | about / for / at | Used for times (e.g., at 5 o’clock). |
| ar | on | Used for surfaces and days of the week. |
| i | to / for | Causes a soft mutation to the following word. |
| o | from / of | Causes a soft mutation. |
| wrth | by / at | Often used with speaking (e.g., speaking to someone). |
| dan | under | Causes a soft mutation. |
| dros | over | Used for spatial descriptions and time durations. |
Dw i’n hoffi coffi a the.
Common nouns
Nouns are the people, places, and things you interact with every day.
Welsh nouns have genders (masculine or feminine), which affects how words around them change.
| Welsh | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| amser | time | Masculine. |
| dydd / diwrnod | day | ”Dydd” is for days of the week, “diwrnod” is for a duration of a day. |
| bore | morning | Masculine. |
| nos | night | Feminine. |
| blwyddyn | year | Feminine. |
| heddiw | today | Adverb/Noun. |
| yfory | tomorrow | Adverb/Noun. |
| ddoe | yesterday | Adverb/Noun. |
| dyn | man | Masculine. |
| menyw | woman | Feminine. Sometimes “dynes” is also used. |
| bachgen / hogyn | boy | ”Bachgen” is standard/South, “hogyn” is North. |
| merch / hogen | girl / daughter | ”Merch” is standard/South, “hogen” is North. |
| teulu | family | Masculine. |
| tŷ | house | Masculine. |
| gwaith | work | Masculine. |
| ysgol | school | Feminine. |
| ci | dog | Masculine. |
| cath | cat | Feminine. |
| car | car | Masculine. |
| ffordd | way / road | Feminine. |
| lle | place | Masculine. |
| peth | thing | Masculine. |
| dŵr | water | Masculine. |
| bwyd | food | Masculine. |
| llaeth / llefrith | milk | ”Llaeth” is South, “llefrith” is North. |
| te | tea | Masculine. |
| coffi | coffee | Masculine. |
| arian | money | Masculine. Can also mean silver. |
Mae’r tŷ yn fawr.
Useful adjectives
Adjectives describe your nouns and give your sentences flavor.
In Welsh, adjectives usually come after the noun they’re describing.
| Welsh | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| da | good | Very commonly used. |
| drwg | bad | Can also mean naughty for children. |
| mawr | big | Often used in place names. |
| bach | small | Also used as a term of endearment. |
| hen | old | One of the few adjectives that comes before the noun. |
| newydd | new | Follows the noun. |
| poeth | hot | Used for food, drinks, and weather. |
| oer | cold | Used for objects and weather. |
| hapus | happy | Borrowed from English but very standard. |
| trist | sad | Follows the noun. |
| blinedig | tired | Often phrased as “wedi blino” for people. |
| prydferth | beautiful | Used for scenery and people. |
| anodd | difficult | Follows the noun. |
| hawdd | easy | Follows the noun. |
Mae’r dŵr yn oer.
Greetings and pleasantries
Knowing basic manners goes a long way with native Welsh speakers.
These are the first phrases you’ll use in any interaction.
Welsh doesn’t have a single direct translation for “yes” or “no”, but ie and na are the closest equivalents.
| Welsh | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| helo | hello | Universal greeting. |
| bore da | good morning | Used until midday. |
| prynhawn da | good afternoon | Used from midday until evening. |
| nos da | good night | Used when parting at night or going to sleep. |
| diolch | thank you | Add “yn fawr” to say thank you very much. |
| os gwelwch yn dda | please | Literally means “if you see it as good”. |
| ie | yes | Used to answer emphatic questions. |
| na | no | Used to answer emphatic questions in the negative. |
| hwyl | goodbye | Often said as “hwyl fawr”. |
Bore da, diolch yn fawr.
