Words and phrases taught in this lesson

Sut - How
Iawn - Fine/O.K.
Diolch - Thanks
Iawn diolch - Fine thanks
Eitha da - Quite well
Wedi blino - Tired
Hapus - Happy
Anhapus - Unhappy
Trist - Sad
Chwilfrydig - Inquisitive/Curious
Amau rhywun - Suspicious (of someone)
Now that you and Danny have been introduced, it's time to ask that polite question people always ask friends and accuaintunces in Wales.


"How are you?"
Culture Tip

"In Wales, most people say “How are you?” interchangeably with “Hello”. They’re not really asking you how you’re feeling but just saying hello. Most people answer the question with a "Fine thanks"' even if they are not feeling well. It's the British way! Of course, there's always that one person who will answer the question literally, by telling you about each and every one of their aches and pains for hour upon hour".
There are two ways to ask someone 'How are you?' in Welsh. A formal way and and informal way. Let's start by asking the informal question.


Sut wyt ti? (Should oyt tea) How are you?
Pronunciation and Grammar Tips


"Sut (How) - It's pronounced 'Sit' in North Wales and 'Should' in South Wales. Sometimes you will see Sut written as Shwd, which matches the South Wales pronunciation more accurately"


"Wyt (Are) - Some words get shortened in everyday informal conversation and Rwyt is one of those words. Most Welsh speakers tend to say Wyt rather than Rwyt".
Now we are going to ask the formal version of the question.


Sut dych chi? (Should duch chee) How are you?
Grammar Tip

"Dych (Are) - The word is actually Rydych but is often shortened to Dych in conversational Welsh".
It is also used when addressing more than one person at a time or when speaking to someone you don’t know very well.Formal or Informal?

‘How are you?’ sounds like such a simple phrase but it gets a little more complicated when you find out that there are two words for 'You' in Welsh. Chi (Chee) and Ti (Tea).

Chi - It is used in formal or polite situations. For example: addressing someone you respect such as an older person, a church pastor or an employer.
Ti - It is more informal and is used when addressing friends, family, children and animals.
Quiz 4

Choose whether to use Ti or Chi when talking to the following people.


1. Your Sister _________

2. A Vicar/ Pastor _________

3. Your 4 year old Nephew _________

4. A Police Officer _________

5. Your five cousins _________
Jason's Tips

“Learning when to use Chi or Ti will take some time to get used to. If you are not sure which form to use when talking to a Welsh speaker, then start with the Chi form and then wait to see which form they use and follow their lead”.
There are various ways to answer one of the Welsh versions of 'How are you?'. It really depends on how you are feeling at the time.


Here are a few ways you could answer the question.


Iawn (Ee-awn) Fine!/Okay!
Pronunciation Tips


“Its pronounced ee-awn and almost sounds like you're saying the English word 'yawn'”.
Iawn diolch (Fine thanks) ee-awn dee-olch.


Eitha da (Eye-thar dah) Quite Well


Wedi blino (Wed-ee bleen-oh) Tired/Worn out
Quiz 5


Fill in the gaps with the missing Welsh word.
Hint: The answers come from the first two lessons.

a. Iawn _________ !


b. Bore ____


c. Sut wyt ____?


d. Wedi ________

e. ______ dych chi?

Answers/Atebion

Quiz 4
1. Ti  2. Chi  3. Ti  4. Chi  5. Chi

Quiz 5
a. Diolch  b. Da  c. Ti/Chi  d. Blino  e. Sut
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