chwaer
/χwaːɨ̯r/feminine
The Welsh word for sister is chwaer.
chwaer is a noun used to describe a woman or girl having the same parents.
Meaning: woman or girl having the same parents (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form chwaer is used to indicate the genitive or possession in many contexts, such as in the phrase fy chwaer (my sister).
How do you pronounce it?
/χwaːɨ̯r/
Did you know?
- The word chwaer is a cognate of the English word 'sister' through their shared Proto-Indo-European ancestor *swésōr.
- The word chwaer is part of a linguistic family that links Welsh to Breton, meaning the word for sister in Breton, 'c'hoar', is a distant cousin.
- Welsh kinship terms like chwaer are part of a complex system where the distinction between maternal and paternal relatives was historically more marked than in modern English.
Examples in context
- Ddoe, aeth fy chwaer i Kobe.Yesterday my sister went to Kobe.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use chwaer when talking about a past event.Tatoeba #1981677 by Sisial, translation #453891 by saasmath
- Mae gen i ddau frawd ac un chwaer.I have two brothers and one sister.This sentence shows how to use chwaer when counting siblings.Tatoeba #1966862 by Sisial, translation #249763 by adjusting
- Mae fy chwaer yn hoffi dawnsio.My sister likes to dance.This sentence demonstrates using chwaer to describe a sister's preference.Tatoeba #4748847 by Sglod, translation #4748848 by Sglod
- Sis, pa bryd ydych yn dod draw?Sis, when are you coming over?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gareth and Elowen are talking about family photos.
- GarethPwy yw'r ferch yma?Who is this girl?
- ElowenMae honna fy chwaer, Gareth.That is my sister, Gareth.
- GarethYdy hi'n byw yma?Does she live here?
- ElowenNa, mae fy chwaer yn byw yn Llundain.No, my sister lives in London.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sister” translations and entries chwaer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chwaer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
