faint oed ydych chi?
The English phrase "how old are you?" is translated into Welsh as faint oed ydych chi?
This phrase is used to ask a person about their age.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase faint oed ydych chi? literally translates to "how much age are you?"
Which one should you use?
The form faint oed ydych chi? is used for a formal or plural "you", whereas faint oed wyt ti? is used for a singular informal "you".
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to a child or a close friend, use the informal faint oed wyt ti? instead of the polite faint oed ydych chi? In informal contexts, the pronouns ti or di can be used to mean "you".
Did you know?
- In Welsh, asking about age is framed as a question of quantity. The word faint is used to treat age as a measurable amount of time rather than a personal characteristic.
- Welsh uses two distinct versions of this question to maintain a social hierarchy. Using faint oed wyt ti? with a stranger or elder would be considered unexpectedly blunt or rude.
- The pronoun chi is a distant relative of the 'you' forms found in many other European languages, tracing back to the ancient Proto-Indo-European word *wos.
Example conversation
Catrin and Gareth are meeting for the first time at a community event.
- CatrinHelo, Gareth! Faint oed ydych chi?Hello, Gareth! How old are you?
- GarethDw i'n deg ar hugain oed.I am twenty years old.
- CatrinYn rhyfedd, dw i'n deg ar hugain hefyd.Surprisingly, I am twenty as well.
- GarethMae hynny'n wych!That is great!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chi, faint, oed, CC BY-SA 4.0.
