Translate Welsh to English
Welsh text appears on road signs throughout Wales, government documents, S4C television, BBC Radio Cymru, school materials, and messages from Welsh-speaking communities. The spelling may look unusual with its double-L and W-as-vowel patterns, but the translator handles it all. Paste your text above.
Common Welsh to English translations
| Welsh | English | Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helo | Hello | HEH-loh | ||
| Bore da | Good morning | BOH-reh dah | ||
| Diolch | Thank you | DEE-olkh | ||
| Os gwelwch yn dda | Please | ohs GWEL-ookh un thah | ||
| Faint mae hwn yn gostio? | How much is this? | vaynt may hoon un GOS-tyoh | ||
| Ble mae'r toiled? | Where is the bathroom? | bleh myre TOY-led | ||
| Dw i ddim yn deall | I do not understand | doo ee theem un dee-AHLL | ||
| Allwch chi fy helpu? | Can you help me? | AHL-lookh khee vuh HEL-pee | ||
| Hoffwn i de | I would like tea | HOF-oon ee deh | ||
| Y bil, os gwelwch yn dda | The bill, please | uh bil ohs GWEL-ookh un thah | ||
| Braf cwrdd â chi | Nice to meet you | brahv koorth ah khee | ||
| Hwyl fawr | Goodbye | hoil vowr | ||
| Mae angen meddyg arna i | I need a doctor | may ANG-en METH-ig AR-nah ee | ||
| Esgusodwch fi | Excuse me | es-gis-OD-ookh vee |
Tips for Welsh to English translation
Welsh spelling is consistent and phonetic once you learn the rules, but those rules differ significantly from English. CH is a guttural sound (like Scottish “loch”), DD is a voiced TH (like “that”), FF is the F sound (plain F is a V sound), and LL is the distinctive voiceless lateral. Reading Welsh aloud without knowing these rules produces gibberish.
Welsh mutations can make it hard to look up words in a dictionary. If you cannot find gath, try removing the mutation to get the root form cath (cat). Translators are trained to recognize mutated forms, but unusual or rare mutations may occasionally cause misidentification.
Welsh text often includes the word yn, a particle with multiple functions: linking verb to complement, marking progressive tense, or converting adjectives to adverbs. It appears in almost every Welsh sentence and is handled automatically by the translator.
Welsh has experienced significant revival since the 1960s. Welsh-medium schools, S4C television, and government language policies have increased the number of speakers. Modern Welsh text reflects this vitality, with contemporary vocabulary for technology, social media, and modern life.
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. Unlimited.
Yes. Mutated word forms are recognized and translated correctly.
Yes.
It only looks that way. W and Y are vowels, LL and CH are single sounds, and DD and FF are single letters. Welsh is fully pronounceable.
Good for everyday use. Professional review for legal or literary texts.
No. Welsh is Brythonic Celtic; Gaelic (Irish, Scottish) is Goidelic Celtic. Different branches of the same family.
Visit our English to Welsh page.
No.
About 880,000 in Wales, with the number growing through Welsh-medium education.
Over 60 pairs including Irish, French, Spanish, and more.
Looking for the reverse? Try English to Welsh translation.
