English - Welsh translation

English to Welsh: a changed first letter can be correct

Check the phrase before correcting the dictionary spelling

Welsh consonant mutation changes the beginning of a word in particular grammatical environments. A translated noun may therefore look different from its dictionary entry without being misspelled. Before replacing the first letter, read the words that precede it and identify the construction.

For example, tad means “father,” while dy dad is “your father” in familiar singular address. The change from t to d is grammatical. Saving the complete phrase is more useful than assuming tad must keep the same initial letter everywhere. This becomes important when a sentence is adapted for another owner or placed after a different preposition.

English possession can require different mutation patterns

Fy nhad means “my father,” with a different initial change from dy dad. A universal Welsh equivalent for “father” cannot simply be pasted after every possessive. The relationship between the words determines the form. When editing a translated family message, check both the owner and the mutation.

English “his” and “her” also need care because the Welsh possessive ei can have either meaning, with the following mutation helping distinguish them in suitable words. Retain a clear referent in the English source. A sentence about several people and their belongings gives the translator more opportunity to attach the possession to the wrong person.

Do not judge Welsh syntax by English order

Welsh can put the verb before the subject and can use constructions with bod and a verb-noun rather than an English-looking finite verb sequence. A natural target sentence may therefore be substantially rearranged. Identify whether the message reports an action, asks a question, or gives an instruction before checking individual words.

A short English label such as “booking change request” can obscure that function. Decide whether it names a request, asks the reader to change a booking, or reports a change already requested. Give the Welsh a clear intended action rather than expecting three English nouns to remain in the same order.

Keep register, region, and spelling deliberate

Welsh has regional conversational differences and a distinction between more literary and everyday forms. A phrase taught in one area is not automatically the only correct option. For a public notice, choose a consistent written voice; for a personal exchange, a conversational form may fit better.

Tŷ means “house,” and its circumflex is part of the written word. Preserve accents rather than stripping them as decoration. Names and place names may also appear in mutated forms inside a sentence, while their dictionary or standalone form differs. Check an established name spelling, keep reference codes exact, and inspect dates and amounts independently so the Welsh message remains tied to the same practical record.