du
/dɨː/
The Welsh word for black is du.
du is used to describe things that are absorbing all light. It can function as both an adjective and a noun representing the color black.
Meaning: absorbing all light (adj)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, du is used in its base form when it follows a noun, such as in the phrase car du (black car).
How do you pronounce it?
/dɨː/
Did you know?
- The Welsh word du is a distant cousin of the English word 'dark', as both trace their roots back to the same ancient Proto-Indo-European sound.
- Historically, the 'blackness' of du was often contrasted with the 'whiteness' of gwyn in Welsh mythology to represent the duality of life and death or light and shadow.
- The Welsh language distinguishes between the color black du and the concept of 'darkness' tywyll, which is used for a room with no lights.
Examples in context
- 'Roedd Sami yn gyrru Beamer du.Sami drove a black Beamer.This sentence shows the use of du to describe a car.Tatoeba #8118013 by SteCymru14, translation #7321434 by OsoHombre
- Mae ganddo fo fwstash du.He has a black mustacheThis sentence shows the use of du to describe a mustache.
- Mae'r ceffyl yn duThe horse is black
- Mae'r ffenestr yn edrych yn dduThe window looks black
- Roedd hi'n gwisgo cot yn ddu a melynShe was wearing a black and yellow coat
Example conversation
Rhys and Catrin are looking at a piece of clothing.
- RhysWyt ti'n hoffi'r t-shirt du hwn?Do you like this black t-shirt?
- CatrinYdw, mae'n edrych yn dda.Yes, it looks good.
- RhysFelly, fydda i'n prynu'r un du.So, I will buy the black one.
- CatrinMae hynny'n dewisiad da, Rhys.That is a good choice, Rhys.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “black” translations and entries du, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
