Translate English to Welsh
Welsh (Cymraeg) is spoken by about 880,000 people in Wales and has experienced a remarkable revival over the past few decades. It is one of the oldest living languages in Europe, with literary records stretching back to the 6th century. Whether you are visiting Wales, studying Celtic languages, or communicating with Welsh speakers, paste your text above.
Common English to Welsh translations
| English | Welsh | Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hello | Helo | HEH-loh | ||
| Good morning | Bore da | BOH-reh dah | ||
| Thank you | Diolch | DEE-olkh | ||
| Please | Os gwelwch yn dda | ohs GWEL-ookh un thah | ||
| How much is this? | Faint mae hwn yn gostio? | vaynt may hoon un GOS-tyoh | ||
| Where is the bathroom? | Ble mae'r toiled? | bleh myre TOY-led | ||
| I do not understand | Dw i ddim yn deall | doo ee theem un dee-AHLL | ||
| Can you help me? | Allwch chi fy helpu? | AHL-lookh khee vuh HEL-pee | ||
| I would like tea | Hoffwn i de | HOF-oon ee deh | ||
| The bill, please | Y bil, os gwelwch yn dda | uh bil ohs GWEL-ookh un thah | ||
| Nice to meet you | Braf cwrdd â chi | brahv koorth ah khee | ||
| Goodbye | Hwyl fawr | hoil vowr | ||
| I need a doctor | Mae angen meddyg arna i | may ANG-en METH-ig AR-nah ee | ||
| Excuse me | Esgusodwch fi | es-gis-OD-ookh vee |
Tips for English to Welsh translation
Welsh undergoes initial consonant mutations that change the first letter of a word based on grammatical context, similar to Irish. There are three types: soft mutation (cath becomes gath), nasal mutation (cath becomes nghath), and aspirate mutation (cath becomes chath). These are not errors; they are core grammar rules.
Welsh uses VSO (verb-subject-object) word order, like Irish and Arabic. “The boy reads a book” becomes Mae'r bachgen yn darllen llyfr (is the boy reading book). This order is rearranged to English SVO during translation.
The Welsh letter LL represents a voiceless lateral fricative, a sound made by placing the tongue in the L position and blowing air past it. It appears in many common Welsh words and place names: Llanelli, Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Lloyd. The audio buttons on this page help you hear this distinctive sound.
Welsh uses W and Y as vowels. Cwm (valley) has W as its only vowel. Dyn (man) uses Y as a vowel. This makes Welsh words look consonant-heavy to English speakers, but they are perfectly pronounceable once you know the vowel system.
About the Welsh language
Welsh belongs to the Brythonic branch of the Celtic language family, alongside Breton (spoken in Brittany, France) and the extinct Cornish (which has been revived). It is one of the oldest living languages in Europe, with the earliest Welsh poetry dating to the 6th century. Taliesin and Aneirin composed verse in Old Welsh that is still studied today.
Wales has about 3.1 million people, of whom roughly 880,000 speak Welsh. The Welsh Language Act (1993) and the Welsh Language Measure (2011) give Welsh official status equal to English in Wales. Road signs, government services, and court proceedings are available in Welsh. The Welsh government has set a target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050, and the number of young speakers is growing through Welsh-medium education.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. No registration needed.
No. Both are Celtic but from different branches (Brythonic vs. Goidelic). They are not mutually intelligible.
Yes. Click the speaker icon. The LL sound is especially worth hearing.
Welsh changes the first letter of words based on grammar rules. There are three types: soft, nasal, and aspirate. These are normal, not errors.
Good for everyday use. Professional review for official or published texts.
Yes. W and Y both function as vowels in Welsh. Cwm (valley) has W as its only vowel.
Visit our Welsh to English page.
Yes.
Not anymore. Active revival efforts have stabilized and grown the speaker population.
Over 60 pairs including Irish, French, Spanish, German, and more.
Need the reverse? Try Welsh to English translation.
