Recently I have been devoting as much time as possible to achieving a lifelong aim: properly learning Welsh after countless false starts. One of the many aspects of my Welsh that I need to hugely improve is that most fundamental foundation of any language: vocabulary. Not knowing the word for something is the primary stumbling block for all learners, and I refuse to stoop to the lazy, sloppy and ugly practice of just inserting the English equivalent (so prevalent among half-taught pseudo Welsh speakers, if off the cuff interviews on S4C’s Sgorio are anything to go by).

There are many ways to build a vocabulary, from online listening through to sticking labels on things around the house, but for me nothing beats the effectiveness of rote learning and testing from big printed lists organised by parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections). To assist me, and perhaps be of use to other learners, I intend to publish such lists on this blog from time to time.

I will start with adjectives, words that describe a noun. I like adjectives. My writing has always been packed with them. In all the Celtic languages, the Latin/Romance languages and many languages around the world, the adjective usually comes after the noun – unlike English and the other Germanic languages where the adjective usually comes first. This ‘last word’ weight and heft gives Welsh adjectives an importance that might explain their juicy lyricism. Note that when adjectives follow a ‘feminine’ singular noun their first letter mutates according to the ‘soft mutation’ formula (p→b, t→d, c→g, b→f, d→dd, g→/, ll→l, m→f, rh→r). This list, which is by no means comprehensive, is arranged in alphabetical order of the English adjectives.

KEY
◄ precedes noun
◄+ precedes noun and causes mutation
♦ irregular mutation (given in brackets)

Abundant – Helaeth
Active, Agile – Heini
Angry – Dig, Llidiog
Another – Arall
Awful, Terrible – Ofnadwy
Bad – Drwg
Bald – Moel
Beautiful – Hardd
Big, Great – Mawr
Bitter – Chwerw
Black – Du
Blue – Glas
Bright, Glittering – Llachar
Brown – Gwinau, Brown
Busy – Prysur
Careful – Gofalus
Careless, Negligent – Esgeulus
Central – Canolog
Certain – Siŵr
Cheap – Rhad
Clean – Glân
Clever – Peniog
Close, Near – Agos
Cloudy – Cymylog
Cold – Oer
Colourful – Lliwgar
Compact – Cryno
Complacent – Ymfodlonus
Complete – Cyflawn
Convenient – Cyfleus
Dangerous – Peryglus
Dark – Tywyll
Dear (beloved) – Annwyl
Different – Gwahanol
Difficult – Anodd
Dirty – Brwnt
Distant – Pell
Dull – Dwl
Dry – Sych
Early – Cynnar
Easy – Hawdd
Enough – Digon
Enthusiastic – Brwdfrydig
Every, Each – Pob ◄
Exact – Manwl
Excellent – Ardderchog
Expensive – Drud
Experienced – Profiadol
Extensive – Eang
Fair (beautiful) – Teg
Fair (impartial) – Gweddol
Famous – Enwog
Fast – Cyflym
Fat – Tew
Favourite – Hoff ◄+
Few, Some – Ambell ◄+
Fine, Pleasant – Braf ♦(Braf)
Fitting – Cymwys
Fluent – Rhugl
Fresh – Crai, Ffres
Full – Llawn
Funny, Humorous – Doniol
Gay – Hoyw
General – Cyffredinol
Glad – Llawen
Good – Da
Green – Gwyrdd ♦(Werdd)
Grey – Llwyd
Hairy – Blewog
Handsome – Golygus
Happy – Hapus, Dedwydd
Hard, Difficult – Caled
Hard-working – Gweithgar
Healthy – Iach
Heavy – Trwm
High – Uchel
Honest – Gonest
Hot – Poeth
Ideal – Delfrydol
Ill – Sâl
Important – Pwysig
Indigo, Violet – Dulas
Intelligent – Deallus
Interesting – Diddorol
Joint, United – Cyd
Kind – Caredig
Last (final) – Olaf
Last (previous) – Diwethaf
Late – Hwyr
Lazy – Diog
Left – Chwith
Less – Llai
Light (pale) – Golau
Light (weight) – Ysgafn
Little (few) – Ychydig
Little (small) – Bach
Local – Lleol
Lonely, alone – Unig
Long – Hir
Loose – Llac
Lovely – Hyfryd
Low – Isel
Lucky – Lwcus
Main, Chief – Prif ◄+
Many, Much – Llawer
Married – Priod
Marvellous – Rhyfeddol
Miserable – Diflas
Misty – Niwlog
Modern – Modern
More – Mwy
Nasty – Cas
New – Newydd
Next – Nesaf
Nosy – Busneslyd
Old – Hen ◄+
Older – Hŷn
Only – Unig ◄+
Oral – Llafar
Orange – Oren
Original – Gwreiddiol
Pink – Pinc
Pleased, Willing – Bodlon
Polite – Cwrtais
Poor – Tlawd
Popular – Poblogaidd
Possible – Dichonadwy, Posibl
Powerful – Grymus
Present – Presennol
Pretty, Quaint – Pert
Prickly – Pigog
Primary – Cynradd
Probable – Tebygol
Proper – Priodal
Proud – Balch
Pure – Pur
Purple – Porffor
Quick – Buan
Quiet – Tawel
Raw – Of
Ready – Parod
Recent – Diweddar
Red – Coch
Respectable – Parchus
Right (correct) – Cywir
Right (direction) – De
Round – Crwn
Rude – Anfoesgar
Sad – Trist
Salty – Hallt
Same – Yr Un ◄
Servile – Gwasaidd
Several – Sawl ◄
Sharp – Miniog
Short, Brief – Byr
Shy – Swil
Similar – Tebyg
Sincere – Diffuant
Single – Sengl
Smug – Hunanol
Soft – Meddal
Some – Rhai ◄
Sore – Tost
Special – Arbennig
Splendid – Gwych
Stinking – Drewllyd
Stormy – Stormus
Straight – Syth
Strange – Rhyfedd
Strong – Cryf
Stupid – Twp
Successful – Llwyddiannus
Sudden – Sydyn
Suitable – Addas
Sunny – Heulog
Sure – Sicr
Sweet – Melys
Tall – Tal
Tasty – Blasus
Thin – Tenau
Thirsty – Sychedig
Tidy – Taclus
Tight – Tynn
Timely – Amserol
Tired – Blinedig
Ugly – Hagr
Unanimous – Cyfun
Unemployed – Diwaith
Unfortunate – Anffodus
Useful – Defnyddiol
Usual – Arferol
Vain – Ofer
Very – Iawn
Vile – Gwael
Violent – Ffyrnig
Warm – Cynnes, Twym
Weak – Gwan
Wealthy – Cyfoethog
Wet – Gwlyb
White – Gwyn ♦(Wen)
Wild – Gwyllt
Windy – Gwyntog
Witty – Ffraeth
Wonderful – Bendigedig
Wrong – Anghywir
Yellow – Melyn ♦(Felen)
Young – Ifanc