| lesson_5_swales.mp3 |
Words and phrases taught in Lesson 5
Ble - Where
Byw - To live/Living
Dych chi - Do you
Wyt ti- Do you (Informal )
Yn - In
Dw i'n byw yn... - I live in...
Abertawe - Swansea
Harlech
Llangollen
Ble - Where
Byw - To live/Living
Dych chi - Do you
Wyt ti- Do you (Informal )
Yn - In
Dw i'n byw yn... - I live in...
Abertawe - Swansea
Harlech
Llangollen
I love going to Welsh festivals. There’s something great about getting together with fellow lovers of all things Welsh and Celebrating with a nice pint of Ale or three. A few years ago I was asked to take a series of Welsh Language workshops at the West Coast Eisteddfod in Los Angeles. I had a great time meeting lots of new people, all of whom were very passionate about Wales and the Welsh Language. Many of the people I met had Welsh ancestry and a few of the people I met came from Wales originally but had moved to the U.S. at some point. Now let me tell you what happens when you meet another Welsh person abroad. The first thing you get asked is what part of Wales you come from. If you come from a place near that person then the two of you start chatting excitedly about your favourite things about each other’s hometowns. If they come from a town or city further away from you, then one of you will have had a relative who lived in one or the others hometown or will have visited those town many times. Once again you would both start talking incessantly about those places and your shared experiences of living in Wales. It’s how Welsh people bond so quickly when meeting abroad.
Now I’m going to teach you the question I got asked most at the West Coast Eisteddfod. The question includes the Welsh word for 'you', so once again we have an informal version and a formal version of the question to learn.
If you are meeting someone for the first time then ask the formal form of the question.
Ble dych chi’n byw? (Blay duch cheen bew?) where do you live?
Now I’m going to teach you the question I got asked most at the West Coast Eisteddfod. The question includes the Welsh word for 'you', so once again we have an informal version and a formal version of the question to learn.
If you are meeting someone for the first time then ask the formal form of the question.
Ble dych chi’n byw? (Blay duch cheen bew?) where do you live?
Grammar Tips
"Ble (Where) - The word 'where' in Welsh comes from the phrase Peth Lle which literally means 'what area'. It’s a phrase that’s not used in full any more. Nowadays Peth is mutated to Beth, then Beth and Lle get squashed together to form the word Ble".
If the person is a child or someone you know then you could ask the informal form of the question.
Ble wyt ti’n byw (Blay oyt teen bew) Where do you live?
Ble wyt ti’n byw (Blay oyt teen bew) Where do you live?
Pronunciation Tips
"Ti'n - The word ti, which is the informal word for 'you', is usually followed by 'n, as in Ble wyt ti'n... One way to remember this word combination is to think of it as a grumpy 'Teen' (Ti'n)".
To say where you live, start the sentence with:
Dw i’n byw yn + the place name
For example:
Dw i’n byw yn Harlech (Dween bew un Har-lech) I live in Harlech
Dw i’n byw yn + the place name
For example:
Dw i’n byw yn Harlech (Dween bew un Har-lech) I live in Harlech
Grammar Tips
"Dw i - It's the shortened form of Rydw i meaning 'I am'. It is used by many people in everyday conversation. In some parts of Wales you will hear local variations such as Rwy (Roy) or Wy (Oy)".
Pronunciation Tips |
I live in...
In this lesson we are going to learn some well known Welsh place names. I am also including some factual information about each place and a photo. Let’s start by Learning the Welsh word for my home town, Swansea. Abertawe (ABBA-towie) Swansea It’s the second largest city in Wales and the birthplace of Dylan Thomas. It includes a maratime quarter and the new multimillion pound campus for Swansea University. Nearby is the Gower Peninsula, the first designated Area of outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom. |
Quiz No.8
How do you say “I live in Swansea?”
Answer: Dw i’n ______ _____ ___________
How do you say “I live in Swansea?”
Answer: Dw i’n ______ _____ ___________
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Here are some more place names you could use in a 'Dw i'n byw yn...' sentence
Llangollen (Llan-goch-len) is a small town of some 3000 people that is best known for hosting the ‘Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod’ every July. It brings in some 120,000 visitors and turns the town into a vibrant international stage. It’s a fantastic experience and worth visiting. |
Pronunciation Tips
“Ll - To say the double L in Llangollen put the tip of your tongue just above your front teeth. Say a normal L sound. L as in ‘Land’. As you say the L sound, blow air from your cheeks”.
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Yr Wyddfa (Ur Oy-vah) Snowdon
is the highest mountain in Wales and is the highest point in the British Isles outside the Scottish Highlands. It is located in Snowdonia National Park and is a popular tourist destination. Yr Wyddfa translates into English as ‘The ancient burial ground’. Aberystwyth (ABBA-rust-with) is a popular seaside resort situated on the West Coast of Wales. The town is home to the University of Wales Aberystwyth and the National Library of Wales. The town contains a pier and a harbour, overlooked by the ancient ruins Of Aberystwyth Castle. |
Quiz No.9
Unscramble the following Welsh anagrams. Each word is a Welsh place name.
A. ESAWHBRTTYY ______________________
B. GLLLLNNOEA ______________________
C. RY DDFWAY ______ ________________
D. AAWBTREE _____________________