Time and Dates in Welsh

Overview

Being able to tell the time, name days of the week, and refer to months is essential for everyday communication at the A1 level. Welsh uses the feminine pronoun "hi" for time expressions ("Mae hi'n..."), and the days and months have their own Welsh names that you will need to memorize.

Time expressions in Welsh follow consistent patterns that build on your knowledge of "bod" (to be) and numbers. Days of the week all begin with "dydd" and months with "mis," which makes them easy to recognize once you know the pattern.

How It Works

Telling the Time

The basic pattern is: Mae hi'n + number + o'r gloch (It is ... o'clock)

Time	Welsh
1:00	Mae hi'n un o'r gloch.
2:00	Mae hi'n ddau o'r gloch.
3:00	Mae hi'n dri o'r gloch.
half past	hanner awr wedi...
quarter past	chwarter wedi...
quarter to	chwarter i...

Days of the Week

Day	Welsh
Monday	dydd Llun
Tuesday	dydd Mawrth
Wednesday	dydd Mercher
Thursday	dydd Iau
Friday	dydd Gwener
Saturday	dydd Sadwrn
Sunday	dydd Sul

Months of the Year

Month	Welsh
January	Ionawr
February	Chwefror
March	Mawrth
April	Ebrill
May	Mai
June	Mehefin
July	Gorffennaf
August	Awst
September	Medi
October	Hydref
November	Tachwedd
December	Rhagfyr

Useful Time Words

Welsh	English
heddiw	today
yfory	tomorrow
ddoe	yesterday
nawr / rŵan	now
bore	morning
prynhawn	afternoon
nos / noswaith	evening / night

Examples in Context

Welsh	English	Note
Mae hi'n dri o'r gloch.	It is three o'clock.	Note mutation: tri → dri
dydd Llun	Monday	Day of the week
mis Ionawr	January	Month with "mis"
heddiw, yfory, ddoe	today, tomorrow, yesterday	Basic time words
hanner awr wedi tri	half past three	Time expression
chwarter i bump	quarter to five	Time expression
bore dydd Llun	Monday morning	Combining day and time
nos Wener	Friday night	Soft mutation: Gwener → Wener
Beth ydy'r dyddiad heddiw?	What is the date today?	Asking the date
Y trydydd o Fawrth	The third of March	Ordinal + month

Common Mistakes

Forgetting "hi" in time expressions

• Wrong: Mae'n dri o'r gloch.
• Right: Mae hi'n dri o'r gloch.
• Why: Time expressions always use the feminine "hi" in Welsh.

Not mutating numbers in time

• Wrong: Mae hi'n tri o'r gloch.
• Right: Mae hi'n dri o'r gloch.
• Why: After "yn" (linking particle), numbers undergo soft mutation.

Mixing up "bore" and "nos" mutations

• Wrong: nos Sadwrn, bore Gwener
• Right: nos Sadwrn, bore Gwener (or bore dydd Gwener)
• Why: "Nos" triggers soft mutation of the day name: nos Wener, nos Lun. "Bore" typically does not in casual speech.

Practice Tips

1. Say the time regularly: Each time you check the clock, say the time in Welsh. This builds a natural habit.

2. Learn days through your schedule: Associate each Welsh day name with your weekly activities.

3. Use a Welsh calendar: Label a calendar with Welsh months and days. Seeing them daily accelerates memorization.

Related Concepts

• Numbers