The Cornish course
Learn Cornish ten words at a time
Kernewek
Ten games of ten words: the hundred most useful Cornish words and expressions you could live on for years, from greetings and ordering food to numbers, small talk and getting around. Play a lesson in the box beside its words, and the next one starts itself.
Cornish challenge
Do you know the essentials? 25 quick questions from across the course. Score high and you are ready for the trip.
Cornish · Lesson 1 of 10
Greetings and politeness
Hello, thanks, please: the ten openers everything else builds on.
- Dydh dadeeth DAH
- Hello
- Yew!yow
- Hi
- Myttin daMIT-in DAH
- Good morning
- Nos danohz DAH
- Good night
- Meur ras brasmur rahz BRAHS
- Thank you very much
- Meur rasmur RAHS
- Thanks
- Wolkom os taWOL-kom os TA
- You're welcome
- Mar plegmar PLEHG
- Please
- Gav dhymmgav THIM
- Excuse me
- Duw genesdew GEN-es
- Goodbye
Cornish · Lesson 2 of 10
Order anything by pointing
One beer please, one of these please, the bill: survive any menu.
- Unn korev, mar plegeen KOR-ev, mar PLEHG
- One beer, please
- Onan a'n re ma, mar plegON-an an ray MAH, mar PLEHG
- One of these, please
- Unn koffi, mar plegeen KOF-ee, mar PLEHG
- One coffee, please
- Onan moy, mar plegON-an MOY, mar PLEHG
- One more, please
- Pygemmys yw?puh-GEM-is ew
- How much is it?
- An reken, mar plegan REK-en, mar PLEHG
- The bill, please
- Henna yw ollHEN-ah ew OHL
- That's everything
- A allav vy...?ah AL-av vee
- May I...?
- Yeghes da!YEKH-es DAH
- Cheers!
- Duw re'th vennigodew reth VEN-ig-oh
- Bless you
Cornish · Lesson 3 of 10
Yes, no and the essentials
The tiny words that carry half of every conversation.
- Yayah
- Yes
- Nanah
- No
- Da lowrdah LOWR
- Okay
- Kudyn vythKID-in VEETH
- Sure / No problem
- Ny wonnnee WON
- I don't know
- Ny gonvedhavnee gon-VEH-thav
- I don't understand
- A gewsydh Sowsnek?ah GEW-sith SOWZ-nek
- Do you speak English?
- NebesNEB-es
- A little
- Yn surun SEER
- Of course
- Pub tra yw dapoob TRAH ew DAH
- Everything is fine
Cornish · Lesson 4 of 10
Numbers and money
Counting, prices, paying by card or cash.
- OnanON-an
- One
- Dewdew
- Two
- Tritree
- Three
- PeswarPEZ-war
- Four
- Pymppimp
- Five
- Hwegh, Seyth, Eth, Naw, Deghwekh, sayth, eth, now, dehg
- Six through Ten
- Kanskanz
- One hundred
- Peuns / Dinerowpurnz / din-ER-oh
- Pounds / Pence
- Gans kartenganz KAR-ten
- By card
- Gans monaganz MON-ah
- In cash
Cornish · Lesson 5 of 10
At the supermarket
Bread, milk, a bag, nothing else thanks: the checkout routine.
- BaraBAH-ra
- Bread
- Lethleth
- Milk
- Dowrdowr
- Water
- OyowOY-oh
- Eggs
- Hogen GernewekHOG-en ger-NEW-ek
- Cornish pasty
- Sagh?sahkh
- A bag?
- Eus ... genes?urz ... GEN-es
- Do you have...?
- Tra vyth aral, meur rastrah VEETH AH-ral, mur RAHS
- Nothing else, thank you
- Ple'ma...?play-MAH
- Where is...?
- Pygemmys?puh-GEM-is
- How much?
Cornish · Lesson 6 of 10
Cafe and restaurant
A table, the menu, a compliment to the kitchen.
- Moos rag dew, mar plegmohs rag DEW, mar PLEHG
- A table for two, please
- An rol voos, mar plegan rohl VOHS, mar PLEHG
- The menu, please
- Pyth a gomendydh?peeth ah go-MEN-dith
- What do you recommend?
- My a vynn kavos hemmamee ah vin KAV-os HEM-ah
- I'll have this
- Da yw an blasdah ew an BLAHZ
- It's delicious
- Onan moy, mar plegON-an MOY, mar PLEHG
- One more, please
- Dhe dhon dhe-vestheh THON theh VEHZ
- To take away
- An reken, mar plegan REK-en, mar PLEHG
- The bill, please
- Yw an servys ynkludys?ew an SER-vis in-KLOO-dis
- Is service included?
- Hogen GernewekHOG-en ger-NEW-ek
- Cornish pasty
Cornish · Lesson 7 of 10
Small talk and neighbors
How are you, nice day, see you soon: superficial and proud of it.
- Fatla genowgh hwi?FAT-la gen-OH hwee
- How are you? (formal)
- Fatla genes?FAT-la GEN-es
- How are you? (casual)
- Yn poynt da, meur rasun point DAH, mur RAHS
- Fine, thanks
- Pyth yw dha hanow?peeth ew tha HAN-oh
- What's your name?
- Da yw genev dha welesdah ew GEN-ev tha WEL-es
- Nice to meet you
- A ble'th os ta?ah BLETH os TA
- Where are you from?
- Splann yw an gewer hedhywsplan ew an GEW-er HEH-thew
- Beautiful weather today
- Dha weles yn skontha WEL-es un SKON
- See you soon
- Dydh da dhisdeeth DAH thees
- Have a good day
- Yeghes daYEKH-es DAH
- Cheers / To your health
Cornish · Lesson 8 of 10
Getting around
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet.
- Ple'ma...?play-MAH
- Where is...?
- Kledhklayth
- Left
- DyghowDUH-khow
- Right
- Yn-rag porresun RAHG POR-es
- Straight ahead
- An gorsav trenan GOR-sav trayn
- The train station
- An kyttrinvaan kit-RIN-va
- The bus stop
- Unn tokyn, mar plegeen TOK-in, mar PLEHG
- One ticket, please
- Ple'ma'n privedhyow?play-man pri-VEH-thyoh
- Where is the toilet?
- Pygemmys pell yw?puh-GEM-is pel ew
- How far is it?
- Fyllys ovFIL-is ov
- I'm lost
Cornish · Lesson 9 of 10
Time and days
Today, tomorrow, later, the weekend.
- HedhywHEH-thew
- Today
- A-vorowah-VOR-oh
- Tomorrow
- Deday
- Yesterday
- LemmynLEM-in
- Now
- Dewethadeh-WETH-ah
- Later
- Dy'Lundee LEEN
- Monday
- Dy'Gwenerdee GWEN-er
- Friday
- An penn-seythenan pen-SAY-then
- The weekend
- Py eur yw?pee UR ew
- What time is it?
- A-varr / Diwedhesah VAR / dee-WEH-thes
- Early / Late
Cornish · Lesson 10 of 10
Help and emergencies
The words you hope to never need.
- Gweres!GWEH-res
- Help!
- Galowgh an kreslu!GAL-oh an KREZ-loo
- Call the police!
- Galowgh medhek!GAL-oh MEH-thek
- Call a doctor!
- Ferylvafeh-RIL-va
- Pharmacy
- Fyllys ovFIL-is ov
- I'm lost
- Res yw dhymm gweresrayz ew THIM GWEH-res
- I need help
- Ladrys veuLAD-ris vay
- It was stolen
- Nyns ov vy yn taninz ov VEE un TAH
- I don't feel well
- KlavjiKLAV-jee
- Hospital
- Goredhomgor-ETH-om
- Emergency