gallois
/ɡa.lwa/masculine
The French word for the Welsh language is gallois.
gallois can be used as a noun to refer to the Welsh language or as an adjective to describe something pertaining to Wales, such as its people, traditions or wildlife.
Meaning: language (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a noun to mean the Welsh language, gallois is a masculine noun and is typically preceded by the definite article le (e.g., le gallois). When used as an adjective, gallois must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies, such as using galloise for a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /ɡa.lwa/.
Did you know?
- The French word gallois shares the same root as the word gaulois, meaning 'Gaulish'. This reflects an ancient historical confusion in France between the people of 'Galles' and the inhabitants of ancient 'Gaule'.
- The French word for Wales, le pays de Galles, literally translates to 'the country of Wales', which differs from the single-word names French uses for countries like la France or l'Angleterre.
- In French, the names of languages are not capitalized. This means le gallois is written with a lowercase 'g', whereas 'Welsh' is always capitalized in English.
Examples in context
- Parles-tu le gallois ?Do you speak Welsh?This sentence is useful for asking if someone speaks the language using gallois.Tatoeba #8739010 by Micsmithel, translation #5871077 by mailohilohi
- J'aime parler le gallois.I like to speak Welsh.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for speaking gallois.Tatoeba #3526803 by sacredceltic, translation #3524065 by robbieheslop
- J'ai appris à mon perroquet à parler gallois.I've taught my parrot to speak Welsh.This sentence is useful for describing the ability of a parrot to speak gallois.Tatoeba #7419950 by Rockaround, translation #2841534 by AlanF_US
- Connaissez-vous l'histoire des Gallois?Do you know the history of the Welsh?
- J'apprécie la beauté de la langue galloise.I appreciate the beauty of the Welsh language.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are talking about their language studies at a café.
- HugoEst-ce que tu apprends une nouvelle langue ?Are you learning a new language?
- EmmaOui, j'étudie le gallois en ce moment.Yes, I am studying Welsh at the moment.
- HugoC'est impressionnant, Emma !That is impressive, Emma!
- EmmaMerci, c'est un défi passionnant.Thank you, it is an exciting challenge.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “welsh” translations and entries gallois, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
