Free survival kit

Gallois survival kit

The 20 essential phrases and 100 key words to get by in Gallois when travelling.

20 phrases
100 key words in the PDF

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Greetings

Gallois	English
Bore da	good morning
Prynhawn da	good afternoon
Noswaith dda	good evening
Nos da	good night
Helo	hello
Shwmae	hi (South Wales)
S'mae	hi (North Wales)
Hwyl fawr	goodbye

Asking for directions

Gallois	English
tŷ	house
ysgol	school
marchnad	market
bwyty	restaurant

Emergencies

Gallois	English
pen	head
llygad	eye
clust	ear
llaw	hand

At the restaurant

Gallois	English
bara	bread
dŵr	water
llaeth	milk (South)
llefrith	milk (North)

30 key words to remember

Gallois	English
Diolch	thanks
Esgusodwch fi	excuse me
ie	yes (identification)
nage	no (identification)
ydw	yes (I am)
nac ydw	no (I'm not)
i	I / me
fi	I / me (alt)
ti	you (familiar)
chi	you (formal/plural)
e	he / him (South)
o	he / him (North)
hi	she / her
ni	we / us
nhw	they / them
Dw i	I am
Wyt ti	you are (familiar)
Mae e/hi	he/she is
Dyn ni	we are
Dych chi	you are (formal/plural)
Maen nhw	they are
mynd	to go
dod	to come
siarad	to speak
eisiau	to want
gweithio	to work
gwybod	to know (a fact)
gallu	to be able to
gweld	to see
clywed	to hear

In context: 5 scenes to get by

On arrival

You arrive at Cardiff Central station in the early morning. You enthusiastically greet the ticket agent in Welsh before continuing in English. Later in the day, you will greet each shopkeeper you meet with the appropriate phrase.

Bore da : good morning
Prynhawn da : good afternoon
Noswaith dda : good evening
Nos da : good night

In a taxi

You get into a taxi outside the station. You tell the driver that your accommodation is near an old house, opposite a school. You also ask him for a good local market and a traditional restaurant for the evening.

tŷ : house
ysgol : school
marchnad : market
bwyty : restaurant

At the café

You sit in a caffi in the center of Caernarfon. You order fresh bread with butter and a tall glass of water. The waiter then offers you Northern milk to accompany your coffee, a local specialty.

bara : bread
dŵr : water
llaeth : milk (South)
llefrith : milk (North)

In an emergency

You slipped during a hike in Snowdonia and feel pain in your head. You explain your state to a fellow hiker, pointing to the affected eye and ear. You also mention pain in your right hand.

pen : head
llygad : eye
clust : ear
llaw : hand

On departure

It is the morning of departure. You warmly greet your host in standard Welsh, then with the South Wales phrase, and finally with the North Wales one to show you have traveled through the whole country. You say goodbye with a big farewell.

Helo : hello
Shwmae : hi (South Wales)
S'mae : hi (North Wales)
Hwyl fawr : goodbye

Cultural notes

Welsh is a Celtic language with consonant mutations: the first letter of a word changes depending on the grammatical context. Pen (head) becomes ben, mhen or phen. Don't be surprised: it is a structural feature, not a mistake.
English is understood everywhere in Wales, but using a few Welsh words (diolch, bore da, hwyl) is immediately noticed and appreciated. The Welsh are proud of their language and warmly welcome foreigners' efforts.
Wales has two main varieties: the north (Gogledd) and the south (De). Differences cover everyday words: llaeth or llefrith for milk, mam-gu or nain for grandmother. Adapt to your region.
Rugby is almost a religion in Wales. Mastering a few words around the Six Nations Championship and knowing Stadium Principality in Cardiff opens up conversations in every Welsh pub.
The Eisteddfod, an annual festival of poetry, music and choral singing, is the major cultural event. Mentioning this deep attachment to traditional Welsh arts instantly creates a bond with your interlocutor.
Road signs are bilingual throughout the country: Welsh appears first, English underneath. Reading both versions is an excellent way to enrich your vocabulary throughout your trip.
Avoid calling Wales England or mixing the two. Welsh national feeling is very strong, especially among younger generations. Wales and Cymru are the only acceptable terms.
Green tea (paneidiau) is a social institution. A simple paned (cup) can stretch for an hour of conversation. Refusing a tea offer in a Welsh home comes across as lack of interest.

Keep the whole kit on your phone

The 20 phrases, 100 key words and the cultural notes in a PDF to keep offline or print. We also send it to you by e-mail.

A grandmother and her granddaughter in the kitchen

A family language

Reconnect with Welsh

The language of your parents, your grandparents or your partner. The one you want to pass on to your children.

A couple hugging on a terrace — Speaking the language of the country means reconnecting with its people.

A mother and her daughter sitting on a rug — Now, at home, we speak Welsh.

A young woman smiles on the phone — “Hi Mum, I speak Welsh!”

A father and his daughter laughing in autumn — Children who speak Welsh are the greatest cultural wealth you can bring to your family.

A grandmother hugs her granddaughter — Your grandparents’ Welsh should not end with them.

Finally understand what is said at the table, and answer back.
Your in-laws speak Welsh to you. Answer them in Welsh.

A language is passed down from generation to generation. Now it is your turn.

Start Gallois for free

About this kit

Welsh (Cymraeg) is a Brittonic Celtic language spoken by about 880,000 people in Wales. An official language alongside English, it is enjoying a remarkable revival thanks to bilingual education, the S4C channel and a dynamic music scene. With this kit, you have the bare essentials to navigate Cardiff, Caernarfon or the Welsh countryside.

Welsh (Cymraeg) is the most vibrant Celtic language in Europe. With about 880,000 speakers in Wales, nearly 30% of the population, it resists the erosion that has pushed back its Brittonic cousins (Cornish, Breton). An official language alongside English since the Welsh Language Act of 1993, it benefits from strong institutional support: mandatory bilingual signage, expanded Welsh-medium education, the S4C television channel, radio and digital programs in Cymraeg.

Welsh belongs to the Brittonic branch of Celtic languages, like Breton and Cornish. It is written in a 28-letter Latin alphabet with several specific digraphs (ch, dd, ff, ng, ll, ph, rh, th) that transcribe sounds absent in English. The most disorienting feature remains consonant mutations: the first letter of a word changes depending on grammatical context, in soft, nasal or aspirate mutation. Once the mechanism is grasped, reading becomes fairly phonetic.

The welcome from Welsh speakers toward foreigners who try their language is exceptional. A few words instantly open the doors of pubs, farms and festivals. This kit gathers the essentials to handle an arrival at Cardiff airport, find your way through the valleys, order in a traditional pub, signal an emergency and say goodbye gracefully. You will find key greetings (bore da, diolch, hwyl fawr), basic vocabulary and cultural tips to avoid faux pas. Memorize these expressions before leaving and you will gain confidence from the very first hours on site.

Sources and references

Every translation is cross-checked against at least two concordant sources among the references below.

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