dos i ffwrdd
The English phrase 'go away' is translated into Welsh as dos i ffwrdd.
The phrase is used to tell someone to depart or leave a place.
Meaning: to depart or leave a place (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In South Wales, the informal word Trwch is used to mean 'clear off' or 'buzz off'.
How does it change in a sentence?
dos i ffwrdd is the imperative form, which is used when giving a command to someone to go away.
Did you know?
- In many Welsh dialects, the word ffwrdd is used figuratively to describe a machine that is 'broken' or 'out of order', not just a person who has departed.
- The spelling of ffwrdd can sometimes cause confusion because the double 'f' represents a single sound, the voiceless bilabial fricative, which does not exist in English.
- The word ffwrdd is actually a variant of ffordd, which means 'way' or 'road'. Literally, the phrase suggests moving along a path to a point of disappearance.
Examples in context
- Mae angen i mi dos i ffwrdd nawr.I need to go away now.
Example conversation
Owain and Elowen are deciding when to leave a party.
- OwainYdy hi'n amser i ni dos i ffwrdd?Is it time for us to go away?
- ElowenYdych chi'n siŵr, Owain?Are you sure, Owain?
- OwainYdw, rydw i'n flino.Yes, I am tired.
- Eloweniawn, gadewn i ni dos i ffwrdd.Okay, let's go away.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dos, ffwrdd, CC BY-SA 4.0.
