50 Welsh Phrases You'll Actually Use: With Pronunciation

These are the Welsh phrases you'll actually use. Greetings, introductions, ordering food, expressing opinions, and navigating social situations. Each phrase includes a pronunciation guide in parentheses.

Welsh pronunciation is more regular than English. Once you learn the rules, you can pronounce any word you see. These guides are approximate, but they'll get you understood. For grammar behind these phrases, see our Welsh grammar beginner's guide.

Greetings

Introductions

Please, Thank You, and Sorry

Opinions and Feelings

At the Pub and Restaurant

Social Situations

Farewells

Useful Responses

Tips for Using These Phrases

Welsh has regional variation, especially between North and South Wales. Where significant differences exist (like Shwmae vs Sut mae for hello), both are included above. Pick the one that matches where you plan to use your Welsh, or where your teacher is from. All speakers understand both.

Like Irish, Welsh has no single word for "yes" and "no." You echo the verb from the question. Ydw / Nac ydw answers questions with bod in the present. Other tenses and verbs use different answer forms. In casual speech, ie and nage are sometimes used as general-purpose yes/no, but it's good to learn the proper forms.

Start with the five most essential phrases: Bore da, Diolch, Hwyl, Dw i'n dda, and Iechyd da. These cover most basic social interactions. Once they feel natural, add more.

If you want to go beyond set phrases and understand why Dw i'n hoffi uses 'n and why Dw i ddim yn hoffi adds ddim with a mutation, blas. teaches Welsh grammar and mutations systematically with spaced repetition. And for phrases perfect for 1 March, see our Dydd Gŵyl Dewi phrase guide.