Welsh Conversation with Translation

Alun: Bore da!, Elen.

Alun: Good morning, Elen.

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Grammar Tip: “Bore da” is a standard greeting. “Bore” (morning) is a noun and “da” (good) is an adjective that follows the noun in Welsh.

Vocabulary: Bore (morning), da (good)

Elen: S'mai, fy nghariad.

Elen: Hi, my darling.

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Grammar Tip: “S’mai” is a contraction of “Sut mae?” meaning “Hi.” “Fy nghariad” uses nasal mutation after “fy” (my) turning “cariad” into “nghariad.”

Vocabulary: S'mai (hi), fy nghariad (my love)

Elen: Lle mae 'goriadau fi?

Elen: Where are my keys?

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Grammar Tip: Possession often follows the noun in spoken Welsh. “'Goriadau fi” means “my keys.” “Lle” means “where,” and “mae” is the present tense of “to be.”

Vocabulary: 'goriadau (keys), fi (me/my)

Alun: 'Goriadau ti?

Alun: Your keys?

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Grammar Tip: This is a shortened form of a question meaning “Your keys?” It omits auxiliary verbs like “Ai dy.” “Ti” is the familiar second-person pronoun.

Vocabulary: goriadau (keys), ti (you/your)

Elen:: le, 'goriadau car fi. Lle maen nhw?

Elen:: Yeah, my car keys. Where are they?

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Grammar Tip: “'Goriadau car fi” is a post-nominal possessive, common in informal Welsh. “Maen nhw” is the plural form of “to be” – “they are.”

Vocabulary: goriadau car (car keys), fi (my)

Alun Maen nhw yma ar y bwrdd, Elen.

Alun: They are here on the table, Elen.

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Grammar Tip: “Maen nhw” = “they are.” “Ar y bwrdd” means “on the table.” Definite articles like “y” mutate nouns depending on the first letter.

Vocabulary: bwrdd (table)

Elen: Sori, Alun. Dw i 'di blino. Dw i'n gweithio lot.

Elen: Sorry, Alun. I'm tired. I'm working a lot.

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Grammar Tip: “Dw i 'di” is the perfect tense (I have…). “Blino” is the past participle meaning “tired.” “Dw i’n gweithio” means “I’m working.”

Vocabulary: blino (tired), lot (a lot)

Alun: T'isio paned o goffi?

Alun: Want a cup of coffee?

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Grammar Tip: “T’isio” is a colloquial shortening of “Wyt ti eisiau” (Do you want). “Paned” is a cup. “O goffi” = of coffee (causes soft mutation: coffi → goffi).

Vocabulary: paned (cup), coffi (coffee)

Elen: Oes, diolch.

Elen: Yes, thanks.

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Grammar Tip: “Oes” is used to answer existential questions (like “Is there?”). It’s affirmative here. “Diolch” means “thanks.”

Vocabulary: Oes (yes)

Alun: Mae'r coffi'n barod.

Alun: The coffee is ready.

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Grammar Tip: “Mae'r” is a contraction of “mae” + “yr” (is + the). “Coffi’n barod” uses “yn” to link the subject and adjective (coffee is ready).

Vocabulary: coffi (coffee), barod (ready)

Elen: Lle mae'r siwgr? Aaa, dyma fo.

Mae hi'n yfed y coffi.

Elen: Where is the sugar? Ah, here it is.

She drinks the coffee.

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Grammar Tip: “Dyma fo” means “here it is.” “Mae hi’n yfed” = “she is drinking.” “Y” is the definite article (“the”) causing a soft mutation in “coffi.”

Vocabulary: siwgr (sugar), dyma fo (here it is), yfed (drink)

Elen: Ych â fi!

Elen: Yuck!

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Grammar Tip: This phrase expresses disgust. “Ych” is an exclamation, and “â fi” means “to me” – a common idiomatic form.

Vocabulary: Ych â fi (yuck/disgust)

Alun: Elen, ti'n iawn?

Alun: Elen, are you okay?

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Grammar Tip: “Ti’n” is short for “wyt ti yn” – second person present tense. “Iawn” means “okay” or “alright.”

Vocabulary: iawn (okay/fine)

Elen: Na'dw! Halen ydi hwn!

Elen: No! This is salt!

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Grammar Tip: “Na’dw” is a negative reply to a “bod” verb question. “Ydi hwn” is an emphatic structure meaning “this is.”

Vocabulary: Na'dw (No), halen (salt)

Alun: Elen, ti 'di blino gormod!

Alun: Elen, you're too tired!

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Grammar Tip: “Ti 'di” is short for “wyt ti wedi” (you have). “Blino” = tired, “gormod” = too much. Common structure for expressing exhaustion.

Vocabulary: blino (tired), gormod (too much)