How do you express time and dates in Welsh?

How to Tell the Time in Welsh

Basic Vocabulary for Time

Knowing the key words is the first step:

• Awr – hour
• Munud – minute
• Eiliad – second
• Cloc – o’clock/clock
• Hanner awr – half an hour
• Chwarter – quarter
• Yn y bore – in the morning
• Yn y prynhawn – in the afternoon
• Yn y nos – in the evening

Asking and Telling the Time

• To ask: Faint o’r gloch ydy hi? – What time is it?
• To answer: Mae hi’n … o’r gloch. – It’s … o’clock.

Examples:

• Mae hi’n un o’r gloch. – It’s one o’clock.
• Mae hi’n dau o’r gloch. – It’s two o’clock.
• Mae hi’n hanner awr wedi tri. – It’s half past three.
• Mae hi’n chwarter i bump. – It’s quarter to five.

Note: Welsh uses both the 12-hour and 24-hour clock, but the 12-hour format is common in conversation.

Expressing Minutes and Past/To the Hour

• … wedi … – past (e.g., deg munud wedi dau – ten past two)
• … i … – to (e.g., bum munud i dri – five to three)

Sample Sentences

• Pum munud wedi wyth – Five past eight
• Deg munud i naw – Ten to nine
• Chwarter wedi un – Quarter past one
• Hanner awr wedi dau – Half past two

Days of the Week in Welsh

• Dydd Llun – Monday
• Dydd Mawrth – Tuesday
• Dydd Mercher – Wednesday
• Dydd Iau – Thursday
• Dydd Gwener – Friday
• Dydd Sadwrn – Saturday
• Dydd Sul – Sunday

To say “on Monday,” use: ar Ddydd Llun

Months of the Year in Welsh

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

How to Say Dates in Welsh

Dates in Welsh are usually given in the format “the [number] of [month],” similar to British English. For example, the 3rd of March would be:

• Y trydydd o Fawrth – The third of March

Numbers 1–31 are used for days:

• Un – 1
• Dau – 2
• Tri – 3
• Pedwar – 4
• …and so on up to Tri deg un – 31

When writing dates, the format is often dd/mm/yyyy, for example: 03/03/2024.

Talking About Years and Centuries

To say a year, use mil naw naw naw (1999), dwy fil a dau (2002), etc. For centuries, “the twentieth century” is y ugeinfed ganrif.

Useful Phrases for Everyday Use

• Pa ddyddiad yw hi heddiw? – What’s the date today?
• Heddiw yw’r ail o Ebrill. – Today is the second of April.
• Am faint o’r gloch? – At what time?
• Byddaf yno am bump o’r gloch. – I’ll be there at five o’clock.

Tips for Practicing Time and Dates in Welsh

• Practice by stating the time and date daily to build confidence.
• Listen to Welsh radio or TV and note how speakers refer to time and dates.
• Use language learning platforms like Talkpal to engage in conversations and quizzes focused on telling the time and dates.

Conclusion

Mastering how to express time and dates in Welsh is essential for daily communication and cultural understanding. With regular practice, exposure, and the right resources such as Talkpal, you’ll be able to confidently discuss schedules, make appointments, and understand Welsh media. Start incorporating these phrases and structures into your language learning routine and watch your fluency grow!