cysgwch yn dda
The Welsh phrase for "sleep well" is cysgwch yn dda.
This phrase is used to wish someone a good night's rest.
Which one should you use?
Cysgwch yn dda is the plural or formal command, whereas cysgw yn dda is the singular or informal command.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form cysgwch yn dda uses the plural/formal imperative.
Did you know?
- In some Welsh communities, it is common to pair a wish for sleep with the phrase nos dawel, which means 'quiet night', emphasizing peace and silence over the quality of the sleep itself.
- The word yn descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁én, which is a distant relative of the English word 'in'.
- The particle yn in cysgwch yn dda serves as a linker that turns the adjective 'good' into an adverb 'well'. This is a versatile tool in Welsh that handles many different grammatical roles.
Examples in context
- Nos da!Goodnight!
- Nos da, cysga'n dda.Goodnight, sleep well.
Example conversation
Dylan and Rhiannon are saying goodnight before going to their rooms.
- DylanDw i'n blino iawn heno.I am very tired tonight.
- RhiannonFi hefyd, Dylan.Me too, Dylan.
- DylanNos da, Rhiannon, cysgwch yn dda.Good night, Rhiannon, sleep well.
- RhiannonDiolch, nos da i chwith.Thanks, good night to you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries yn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
