gwych
/ɡwɨːχ/
The English word 'great' can be translated into Welsh as gwych or grêt.
Meaning: very good (adj)
Ways to say it
| Welsh | IPA |
|---|---|
| gwych | /ɡwɨːχ/ (North Wales) /ɡwiːχ/ (South Wales) |
| grêt | /ɡreːt/ |
Gwych is the standard adjective used to describe something as great or excellent. The form grêt is a loanword from English and is used primarily as an exclamation to express enthusiasm or agreement in casual conversation.
Which one should you use?
Gwych is the standard Welsh adjective for 'great' or 'excellent'. In contrast, grêt is a loanword used as an informal exclamation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Gwych is appropriate for both formal and informal contexts. Grêt is considered very informal and is used in colloquial speech.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡwɨːχ/
When do people say it?
In casual conversation, speakers often use the exclamation Grêt! to show enthusiasm or to agree with something.
Did you know?
- The word gwych shares an ancient root with the concept of fighting, originating from a Proto-Celtic term for 'to fight'.
- The English version of this word, 'great', comes from a root meaning 'coarse' or 'big', whereas the Welsh gwych is more about quality than scale.
- The term gwych can feel much more 'pure' to a Welsh speaker than grêt because it is not a borrowed term.
Examples in context
- Grêt!Great!This example shows how to use grêt as a standalone exclamation.Tatoeba #8657520 by loch_nessie, translation #395934 by aeriph
- Mae eich cyflwyniad wedi bod yn ardderchog!Your presentation has been great!
- Wnes ti orffen y prosiect yma? Da iawn!Did you finish this project? Great job!
Example conversation
Elowen and Rhys are talking about a movie they just watched.
- ElowenWyt ti'n hoffi'r ffilm?Did you like the movie?
- RhysIe, roedd hi'n gwych!Yes, it was great!
- ElowenMae'r actor yn gwych hefyd.The actor is great too.
- RhysYdw, mae hi'n rhyfeddol.Yes, it is wonderful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “great” translations and entries gwych, grêt, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries grêt, gwych, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
