Hello from South Africa

Welsh General / Questions
#66

Wow @chris, your progress has been quite phenomenal ! Sorry, I can’t say that in Welsh, but da iawn, ti!

How on earth have you managed to come to grips with written Welsh in such a short time? It still scares the living daylights out of me, and the sight of it has me reaching for the smelling salts. I’ve completed Course One of SSiW and I think I did reasonably OK, but ONLY because I didn’t look up or try to spell or read anything at all. I relied entirely on the spoken word and the sound and it’s only because of that that I managed to make fairly good progress - past failures to learn even basic Cymraeg was because the written language completely floored me. (A positive advertisement for the SSi method, methinks!)

My language learning is currently “suspended”, but when I restart I’ve been seriously considering learning some basic reading and writing of Welsh before going any further. (I’ll probably need the fortification of a couple of Cwrw Castell before each session, but there you are!)

Anyway, keep up the brilliant work, and pob lwc!

Gavin

  • Apologies i bawb for the SouthAfricanism. Castle Lager is one of South Africa’s prime tipples!
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#67

Superb! Huge, huge congratulations - llongyfarchiadau mawr iawn! :star: :star2: :fireworks:

You really are flying along. Have you seen our new Accelerated Welsh Facebook group? I think you might fit in there really well:

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#68

Hi Gavin

I hope you are well. Thanks very much for the message, it’s greatly appreciated.

The reading and writing kind of happened by accident. Working through lessons in the morning and writing down what I have learned in the evening. I originally wrote everything down phonetically but then I found the lesson guides which changed my routine a bit.

I’m no expert but I’m happy to share my experience if it would be of any assistance:

I started keeping a spreadsheet with three columns.

  1. Word/ pattern (which I would take from the guide)
  2. Meaning (translation)
  3. Sounds like (english phonetic spelling)

I have read that welsh spelling is almost perfectly phonetic. The only problem is that it is phonetic as per the welsh alphabet, I tried deciphering the grid but it was too much like hard work :-).

But as I went along I started picking up on patterns:
w sounds like oo
y sound like uh
dd sounds like th
ff like f
f like v

Once you get the hang of this then spelling is quite phonetic, I just write it as it sounds.

I would often look at a word in the guide and think “what the heck is this? I didn’t learn this word today!”. Then I would have to run through the days lessons in my head until I found a match.

I spend about 20 minutes a night writing sentences and comparing spelling with my spreadsheet. By doing this everyday, I eventually became relatively comfortable with welsh phonetics. So now I am able to read most words correctly without having any idea what a word means yet. There are quite a few sites and apps which include sound bites (cadw swn is one that comes to mind).

The key was definitely listening first. I never hold a pen while doing a lesson.

I hope you get a chance to get back to your lessons soon, I know life gets in the way sometimes. The new level one material is really good stuff.

Wow, this post became an essay rather quickly.

Best of luck and chat soon.

PS: I’d be happy to swop some Castle for a few Brains SA!

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#69

Thanks so much Aran, both for this resource and always finding the time to comment and encourage.

I’ve been on the accelerated FB group for a while now, following closely but have been laying low until level one was finished. Level 2 challenges are sitting in my app ready to be downloaded tomorrow morning.

Next week is looking flexible and I would like to use the opportunity to destroy what’s available in level 2 completely. I will create an event and share my experience with everyone on FB. I have a few questions but will post them in the group tomorrow so that the other members can benefit.

Have a great evening and chat soon.

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#70

Hi Chris,
Great to catch up on your progress and Congratulations at getting so far!

Hwyl

#71

That sounds like a superb plan! :thumbsup:

#72

Hi Friends

Hope everyone is doing well.

I was hoping you could help me to clear up a small issue.
I’ve noticed that “ti” seems to have changed to “chi” in level 2.

Are these interchangeable? for example could I chop and change between “gyda chi” or “gyda ti” or do they differ depending on the context?

Similarly are the below also interchangeable?:
“i fi” and “i mi”
“i ti” and “i chi”

Thanks :beers:

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#73

This will be quick one I can give:

ti is singular you
chi is plural or “polite” you.

Depends of what you need to use it changes from “ew ti?” to “Ydy chi”

However I’m glad you’ve noticed that. I tend to use ti where Iestyn and Cat tend to use chi and oposite. As long as you use them right no matter what is OK, depends of how many people you are talking to.

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#74

Not sure if Tatjana answerewd this part, but as far as I know, these two are completely interchangeable.

On the original Course1 & 2, northern version, I think Aran & Catrin used both at different times, and as a result, I find myself using different ones in different situations. I like to think that one or the other just “sounds right” - and I have no idea why, and I take that to be a good sign. :- )
(please don’t pop my bubble anyone… :slight_smile: ).

On the other hand, I think I have read Iestyn writing on the forum in the distant past that he never uses “mi” and always uses “fi”. (But apologies if I have misrepresented him). But if so, then it would appear to be a north/south thing. Or at least an individual speaker thing.

Now you have mentioned it, I will listen out more carefully on Radio Cymru and see if I can spot any patterns emerging.

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#75

Yes I did …

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#76

I’m definitely with you on this one, (so that is two bubbles at risk).

Cheers J.P.

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#77

I believe so. In all courses I’ve made (I’m doing south) we always used “fi” and never “mi”. “Mi” was just once mentioned in old course that it can be used too but we never learnt it.

However “mi” is actually Slovene word for “me” or “to me” too so I might be even more keen to use it as it means practically the same thing in both languages but, going with the (Cymraeg) flow I do not.

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#78

Thanks @mikeellwood, @tatjana and @ramblingjohn

I’ve been listening to quite a lot of welsh music lately and it seems like both are used. I’m not picking up particular tense patterns, just seems like they chose whatever rolls off the tongue easier (though I suppose music does not need to be grammaticaly correct). So I’ll also give Radio Cymru a closer listen (the discussion and news segments).

I’m busy with the southern lessons and agree that the change seems to be relevant to talking to more than one person, but from reading the northern guides, it also looks like a bit of a north south thing too. I’m sure it will all clear up later on, but for now, make that 3 bubbles :smile:

Have a great evening everyone.

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#79

Hi Tatjana

I have run out of level 2 content so I just recapped the last few lessons of course one so I can start course 2.

You are very correct. It does clearly state (in gwers 22, I think) that chi is used when speaking respectfully to others or when speaking to a group.

I’m now comfortable with using these correctly.

Have a great day and thanks again :smile:

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#80

Helo Chris.

I’m glad you’re comfortable with this now. :slight_smile: And you’re most welcome of course.

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#81

Hey everyone

Just wanted to wish you all a great festive season.
Wishing you all the best for the new year and look forward to chatting to you in 2016.
Be safe and chat soon.

Cheers - Chris

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#82

Ti hefyd! :smile:

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#83

Diolch yn fawr iawn @chris.

Best wishes for the new year to you aswell.

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#84

Diolch Chris and all the best for 2016.
Anne

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#85

And from me, Chris!! I will think of you in the sunshine by the bri!!

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