Greetings and politeness in Welsh
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the eleven openers everything else builds on. Play the ten Welsh words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 11 Welsh phrases in this lesson
- HeloHEH-lo
- Hello
- Bore daBO-reh da
- Good morning
- Noswaith ddaNOS-waith tha
- Good evening
- Hwyl fawrhoo-IL vowr
- Goodbye
- Wela i diWEH-la ee dee
- See you
- Os gwelwch yn ddaos GWEL-okh un tha
- Please
- Diolchdee-OLKH
- Thank you
- CroesoKROY-so
- You're welcome
- Mae'n ddrwg gen imine throog GEN ee
- Sorry
- Esgusodwch fies-gi-SOD-ooch vee
- Excuse me
- Braf cwrdd â chibraav koorth aa khee
- Nice to meet you
The safe, universal greeting. Works in any situation and any part of Wales. Welsh speakers will immediately warm to you for trying.
Used until around noon. "Da" means good and you will hear it constantly. Shopkeepers, bus drivers and cafe staff all appreciate this one.
An evening greeting on arrival.
"Hwyl" also means fun or spirit, so this farewell carries a warm, energetic feeling. The "hw" sound is like a breathy English "h" followed quickly by "w". Many Welsh speakers also just say "Hwyl!" for a quick bye.
The friendly form for one person you know.
Literally "if you see it as good." It is a mouthful, so in casual speech many people simply tag "plis" onto a request instead. Use the full form when you want to be polite and formal.
The everyday thank-you. Saying this one word in a Welsh shop or pub can earn you a huge smile. The final "ch" is a soft rasp, not a "k" sound.
"Croeso i Gymru" means "Welcome to Wales" and appears on road signs at the border. As a response to thanks it is warm and natural in any context.
Used to get attention or to apologize for bumping into someone. The "wch" ending signals a polite, formal register. In very casual speech you might hear "Sori" borrowed from English.