Croeso yn ôl i groeseiriau Cymreig / Welcome back to Welsh Crosswords

In this fifth lesson we will cover the following topics:-

1.  More on Questions 

2.  Talking About The Weather

3.  Talking About Work

4.  Translation Exercises

5 .  How to use the crosswords & Croeseiriau Cymraeg  5

In this  lesson  we will be seeking to expand your conversational range by concentrating on new question forms and common topics of conversation. In addition you will find the usual vocabulary crossword and translation exercises.

Enjoy / Mwynhewch.

Pwy sy?  = who is?  Beth sy  = what is?  

Hitherto we have used  mae  for 'is'. Occasionally (in some contexts) you will find the word 'sy' employed for this purpose. You would use 'sy' when you want to emphasise something in particular a person or location. Consider the examples below:

Pwy sy'n siarad?  = Who is talking?

Mae Geraint yn siarad.  = Geraint is talking. 
Geraint sy'n siarad.  = It is Geraint who is talking.

The 'sy' form here, adds extra emphasis. Used in this context 'sy' means 'is' but with a relative element attached to its meaning i.e. (which) is , (what) is , (who) is 

Below are some simple sample questions for you to practice with.

Beth sy ar y radio?  = What's on the radio?
Newyddion sy ar y radio.  = The news is on the radio.

Who is in the kichen? =  Pwy sy'n y gegin?
Mary is in the kitchen. =  Mary sy'n y gegin.

Who is driving the car? =  Pwy sy'n gyrru'r car?
Dave is driving the car. =  Dave sy'n gyrru'r car.

( You will find the answers at the bottom of the page )

The word 'sy' is used in other contexts in Welsh but more commonly so in the written and formal language. The above is the most common usage that you will encounter in everyday speech.

Talking about the weather is always regarded as a peculiarly English characteristic but we do it a lot in Wales too. After all there is a  lot  of weather to talk about. Below are a few options for answering the question:  Sut  mae'r  tywydd   heddiw ?  = How is the weather today?

Mae'n  oer .
Mae'n  boeth .
Mae'n  wyntog .
Mae'n  bwrw glaw .
Mae'n  ddiflas .

Look up the words above (if you don't already know them) and learn them from the word card.

We frequently want to refer to people's occupations in everyday conversation. Here are some possible answers to the question:  Beth  ydy'ch  gwaith   chi?  = What is your work / job?

Athro  dw i.  = I am a teacher.
Myfyriwr  dw i.  = I am a student.

Note that, in Welsh , we answer questions of this form by saying 'Athro dw i.' or, literally 'Teacher I am.' This formulation is commonly used when identifying yourself, either by name or occupation. Consequently, in answer to the question  Beth yw eich enw?  = What is your name?  you would respond  (Enw) dw i.   e.g.  John Jones dw i.

To answer questions about someone else's job e.g. 

Beth yw ei  swydd  /  gwaith ?  - What is his/her job / work?

Mae hi'n  athrawes .  - She is a teacher.
Mae'n  fyfyriwr .  - He is a student.

As an exercise look up your own occupation in the Welsh dictionary ( the best one online is here:-  Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru  ) and practice the above questions and answers.

And so to our second weekly translation exercise. You will find two short conversations below. Don't worry about getting these 100% correct to begin with, that will take a while, and mistakes are an essential part of learning . You should be familiar with all the necessary grammar and if you need to look up some of the vocabulary go here:  Croeseiriau Cymraeg  and type your query in the search box.

Search is located in the right hand column just below the ad for this course. Remember that some words may be mutated so that their first letter is dropped or altered. This can be problematic for  beginners . If you cant find the Welsh try searching the English word if you know it. 

Welsh to English

"Dyn ni'n mynd am dro. Peidiwch ag anghofio'r map."
"Dyma fe."
"Gwych! Dyn ni'n mynd i groesi'r nant hon, dringo'r mynydd hwn ac ymweld â'r rhaeadr hon."

English to Welsh

"I've been to Dolgellau before. I'm going to drive there tomorrow."
"Are you going to climb Cadair Idris?"
"No, but I intend to climb Crib Goch."
"Oh, good luck."

You will find the solutions here:  Solutions

An additional translation tool that you may not be aware of can be found here:-  eu.translator

I'ts not necessarily better than Google Translate but given the limitations of that tool (discussed in last weeks  lesson ) it can be useful to have a second opinion.

And so to our fifth crossword. This week the theme is 'Hill Walking'.

• Click through the slides below and learn the words as you go.
  

• Optional: If you want help with pronunciation or wish to check out other vocabulary entries on the wordcard, click the pic or text below to be taken to the appropriate Geiriadur listing page. 

• Attempt the crossword puzzle here Cymraeg - Vocabulary Crossword 5 (interactive) or if you prefer top do it the old fashioned way you can download a hard copy of  the grid here Crossword 5 Print Version (.pdf)

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Thats it for week five. We hope that you have enjoyed the fifth instalment of the course and that your knowledge of the Welsh language has improved. 
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* Don't worry if some of the sample sentences are at a more advanced level. Concentrate on the simpler ones unless of course you are feeling adventurous and want to read ahead.

...
Who is in the kichen? =  Pwy sy'n y gegin?

Mary is in the kitchen. =  Mary sy'n y gegin.

Who is driving the car? =  Pwy sy'n gyrru'r car?

Dave is driving the car. =  Dave sy'n gyrru'r car.

...

AmeriCymru is committed to doing everything it can to assist its members and readers to acquire a working knowledge of the Welsh language. Whether your goal is fluency or merely the ability to order a pizza and beer when on vacation in Caernarfon you will find helpful resources on this site....  

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