Family and People in Welsh

Overview

Family vocabulary is fundamental at the A1 level because talking about your family is one of the most common conversation topics. Welsh family terms provide an excellent context for practicing possessive adjectives and their associated mutations, as you naturally say things like "fy mam" (my mother), "dy dad" (your father), and "ei frawd" (his brother).

Welsh has distinct terms for many family relationships, and some of these terms differ between North and South Wales. The language also has a rich system for extended family, though at the A1 level you will focus on immediate family members.

How It Works

Immediate Family

Welsh	English	Gender
tad	father	m
mam	mother	f
brawd	brother	m
chwaer	sister	f
mab	son	m
merch	daughter	f
gŵr	husband	m
gwraig	wife	f
plentyn	child	m
plant	children	pl

Extended Family

Welsh	English
tad-cu / taid	grandfather (South / North)
mam-gu / nain	grandmother (South / North)
ewythr / wncwl	uncle
modryb / anti	aunt
cefnder (m) / cyfnither (f)	cousin

Family with Possessives and Mutations

Welsh	English	Mutation
fy nhad	my father	Nasal: t → nh
dy fam	your mother	Soft: m → f
ei frawd	his brother	Soft: b → f
ei chwaer hi	her sister	No mutation (ch is not affected by aspirate)
fy mrawd	my brother	Nasal: b → m

Examples in Context

Welsh	English	Note
Dyma fy mrawd i.	This is my brother.	Nasal mutation
Mae gen i ddwy chwaer.	I have two sisters.	dwy (feminine two)
Beth ydy enw dy fam?	What is your mother's name?	Soft mutation
Mae fy nhad-cu yn byw yn y wlad.	My grandfather lives in the countryside.	Nasal mutation
Faint o blant sy gyda chi?	How many children do you have?	With "gyda"
Mae fy ngŵr yn gweithio.	My husband is working.	Nasal mutation: g → ng
Dyma fy merch i, Siân.	This is my daughter, Siân.	No nasal change for "m" → stays "m"
Mae brawd gyda fi.	I have a brother.	Southern "have"
Ble mae dy chwaer?	Where is your sister?	Soft, but "ch" unaffected
Mae gen i dri mab.	I have three sons.	Northern "have"

Common Mistakes

Wrong mutation with possessives

• Wrong: fy tad (no mutation)
• Right: fy nhad (nasal mutation)
• Why: "Fy" always triggers nasal mutation. Tad → nhad.

Mixing North/South grandparent terms

• Wrong: Nothing wrong with either
• Right: tad-cu/mam-gu (South) or taid/nain (North)
• Why: These are regional terms. Choose one pair and use them consistently.

Forgetting that "plant" is already plural

• Wrong: plants or plantau
• Right: plant (children, already plural); singular is plentyn
• Why: "Plant" is a collective plural. The singular "plentyn" adds the singulative suffix.

Practice Tips

1. Draw your family tree: Label each person with their Welsh family term. Practice saying "Dyma fy..." for each one.

2. Practice possessive mutations: Run through all family members with "fy," "dy," and "ei" to drill the mutation patterns.

3. Describe your family: Write five sentences about your family using different structures: "Mae gen i frawd. Mae fy chwaer yn byw yng Nghaerdydd."

Related Concepts

• Possession