User Guide β Welsh Vocabulary Trainer
Conceived and implemented by Rob Beynon and Jane Hurst
v4.10.0
Dysgu Geirfa (Learn Vocabulary) is a comprehensive Welsh vocabulary trainer with 5,000+ words across four difficulty tiers. With 17 different game modes β from classic flashcards to hangman with the full Welsh alphabet β plus reference tools for word roots, negations, and ordinals, there's something for every learning style.
When you first open Dysgu Geirfa, you'll see the home screen with filtering options at the top and game mode cards below. Here's how to begin:
Start with Tier 1 nouns in the "Family & Relationships" or "Food & Drink" categories. These are practical words you'll use immediately in conversation.
The Quick Lookup tool lets you search for any word in the dictionary. It's available in two places:
On the main menu, use the lookup box to search before starting a game.
During any game, tap the π button in the header (next to the π home button and game title) to open the lookup modal. This lets you check a word without losing your place.
Each result shows:
The stem is the base form used for conjugating verbs. For example, dysgu (to learn) has the stem dysg-, so "I learn" is dysgaf. Some common verbs like mynd, dod, gwybod are irregular and don't follow standard patterns.
Use the lookup tool to quickly verify a word's gender before using it, or to find the Welsh for an English word you're trying to remember. The mid-game lookup is perfect for when you see an unfamiliar word during practice!
The 5,000+ words are organised into four tiers based on frequency and usefulness for learners:
| Tier | Words | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | ~575 | Essential vocabulary β pronouns, basic verbs, numbers, family, body parts, core adjectives, everyday phrases | Complete beginners, foundation building |
| Tier 2 | ~1,060 | Common vocabulary β extended everyday words, animals, professions, clothing, food, time expressions | Elementary to pre-intermediate learners |
| Tier 3 | ~980 | Extended vocabulary β abstract concepts, technology, emotions, formal phrases, countries | Intermediate learners, exam preparation |
| Tier 4 | ~415 | Advanced vocabulary β academic terms, law/government, philosophy, formal connectors | Advanced learners, professional Welsh |
The difficulty dropdown offers both individual tiers and cumulative options:
Master Tier 1 until you're scoring 90%+ consistently, then move to "Tiers 1+2". This ensures you maintain your foundation while expanding.
Three filter dropdowns help you focus your practice sessions:
Select which tier(s) to include, as described above. The cumulative options are particularly useful for building vocabulary progressively.
Focus on thematic groups of words. Available categories include:
Filter by grammatical type: Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, Prepositions, Conjunctions, Pronouns, Numbers, or Phrases.
Most game modes require at least 5 words. If your filter combination is too restrictive, you'll see an alert asking you to broaden your selection.
Seventeen different game modes cater to various learning styles and objectives:
These modes have no time pressure, allowing you to learn at your own pace.
Classic flip cards for self-paced learning. See the Welsh word, try to recall the English, then click to reveal. Mark words as "Got it" or "Still learning" to track your progress. Ideal for initial exposure to new vocabulary.
See a Welsh word and choose the correct English translation from four options. Great for recognition and eliminating confusion between similar words. Wrong answers are added to your revision list.
Type the translation yourself β more challenging than multiple choice as there are no hints. The app allows minor spelling errors (within 2 characters of a reasonable-length answer). Excellent for active recall and spelling practice.
Match Welsh words with their English translations. Click a Welsh word, then click its English partner. Five pairs per round, five rounds total β 25 pairs tested. A timer tracks your total time. Mistakes are tracked and wrong words added to revision list.
Classic concentration game with 16 face-down cards. Click to flip and find Welsh-English pairs. Cards stay face-up when matched. Tracks your moves, time, and efficiency. Great for visual learners and reinforcing word pairs.
Guess the Welsh word letter by letter! See the English meaning as a clue. Uses the full Welsh alphabet including digraphs (CH, DD, FF, NG, LL, PH, RH, TH) as single letters. You have 6 lives per word, 10 words per round. Excellent for Welsh spelling.
Match Welsh words to their opposites! Five pairs per round β click a word on the left, then its antonym on the right. English meanings stay hidden until you make a correct match. Tests vocabulary depth and word relationships. 5 rounds, 25 pairs per game. ~320 antonym pairs in the database covering adjectives, verbs, nouns, time expressions, and more.
Match singular nouns to their plurals! Click a word on the left, then its plural on the right. Five pairs per round, five rounds total β 25 pairs tested. English meanings appear when matched. A rules panel shows common plural patterns (+au, +oedd, -yn, vowel changes, etc.). ~490 noun pairs in the database.
Master Welsh mutations! Complete sentences by typing the correct mutated (or unmutated) form. Covers soft, nasal and aspirate mutations with real sentence contexts. Toggle hard mode to see English clues instead of Welsh. Includes sentences where no mutation is needed, and words that don't mutate. A rules panel summarises all mutation triggers and changes. ~360 sentences.
Learn Welsh numbers through arithmetic! Read sums written entirely in Welsh and type the numerical answer. Four difficulty levels from simple (1β10, addition only) to expert (1β1000, all operations). Covers mutations in numbers too β tri chant (aspirate), dwy fil (soft after feminine). After each answer, see the Welsh word for the result.
Discover the colour and character of Welsh! This mode explores idiomatic expressions β those wonderful phrases that make a language come alive. Welsh idioms are often delightfully quirky: when it's raining heavily, it's bwrw hen wragedd a ffyn (raining old women and sticks); to give up is to rhoi'r ffidil yn y tΓ΄ (put the fiddle in the roof); someone with no chance has dim gobaith caneri (no hope of a canary). Each card reveals the literal translation alongside the actual meaning, showing how Welsh imagination has shaped everyday speech over centuries. Some expressions mirror English, others are wonderfully unique. All include example sentences showing the idiom in natural use. ~196 idioms.
These modes add time pressure for more intensive practice.
Multiple choice with an 8-second timer per question. Score points based on how quickly you answer β faster responses earn more points. Tests your instant recognition ability.
You have 3 lives. Each wrong answer costs a life. How long can you survive? Questions keep coming until you lose all lives. Great for testing how well you really know the vocabulary.
Answer as many questions as possible in 60 seconds. Pure speed challenge β how many words can you correctly identify in one minute?
Words fall down the screen β type the translation before they reach the bottom! Speed increases as you progress. You have 3 lives. An engaging arcade-style way to practice under pressure.
Focused practice for Welsh grammatical features.
See a Welsh noun with its English translation. Click either "Gwryw β" (masculine) or "Benyw β" (feminine). No time pressure β focus on learning the genders correctly.
Timed gender practice with 5 seconds per noun. Score points for speed. 20 nouns per round. Great once you've learned the genders and want to build automatic recognition.
Welsh nouns have grammatical gender β either masculine (gwryw) β or feminine (benyw) β. Knowing a noun's gender is crucial because it affects:
Throughout the app, noun genders are shown with colour coding and symbols:
This colour coding appears in game modes, revision lists, and anywhere gender is relevant. Non-nouns (verbs, adjectives, etc.) show no gender indicator.
cath β
cat β feminine, so "y gath" (the cat) with soft mutation
ci β
dog β masculine, so "y ci" (the dog) with no mutation
Many Welsh nouns follow patterns: words ending in -aeth, -es, -en, -fa are usually feminine; words ending in -wr, -ydd, -yn are usually masculine. But there are exceptions β the Gender Test modes help you learn these through practice.
The app automatically tracks words you get wrong during each session. After completing a game, you can review these problem words.
Copy your revision words after each session and paste them into a notes app or flashcard program like Anki. This creates a personalised weak-words list for targeted practice.
The revision list resets when you start a new game, so make sure to copy any words you want to keep before playing again.
When you answer incorrectly, the app pauses before moving to the next question so you can see the correct answer. You can adjust this delay:
Your preference is saved automatically and persists between sessions.
In applicable modes, you can switch between:
Practising both directions strengthens your vocabulary from multiple angles.
Every game screen has two buttons in the header, next to the game title:
Example: [π ][π] Multiple Choice
Below the game header, a banner shows your current filter settings so you always know what you're being tested on:
Example: Tiers 1, 2 β’ Nature β’ Nouns means you're being tested on beginner and intermediate nature-related nouns.
Research suggests short, focused sessions are more effective than long cramming. Try: 5 mins Flashcards β 5 mins Multiple Choice β 5 mins Hangman β 5 mins reviewing your revision list.
Return to the app regularly rather than in long, infrequent sessions:
Thematic learning helps create mental connections:
Vocabulary sticks when you use it:
Beyond the games, Dysgu Geirfa includes interactive reference tools to deepen your understanding of Welsh word patterns.
Explore how Welsh words grow from common roots. With 130 root words across 6 categories, this reference shows the word families that spring from each root:
Each root entry shows:
Nouns in the word lists are marked with colour-coded tags showing grammatical gender and plural forms:
| Tag | Welsh | Meaning | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| β g | gwrywaidd | masculine | Takes masculine adjective forms; "y" doesn't cause mutation |
| β b | benywaidd | feminine | Causes soft mutation in following adjectives; "y" causes soft mutation |
| β₯ g/b | gwrywaidd neu benywaidd | either gender | Can be used as either masculine or feminine (regional variation) |
| ll | lluosog | plural | Plural form of a noun |
y ferch fach β y bachgen bach
the small girl β the small boy (adjective mutates after feminine noun)
calon β calonog, calonogi, digalon
heart β hearty, to encourage, disheartened
Learn how Welsh negates words using prefixes. The reference covers 50+ negation pairs across three main prefix types:
Each entry shows the prefix, root, result, and any mutations involved.
cofio β anghofio
to remember β to forget (an- + cofio, with cβgh mutation)
A complete reference and practice section for ordinal numbers, dates, and times in Welsh. This is essential knowledge for everyday conversations about appointments, birthdays, and schedules.
The reference section provides comprehensive tables covering:
Four multiple-choice and typing exercises test your knowledge:
Each practice mode also offers a Teipio (typing) option for more challenging active recall β type the Welsh yourself rather than choosing from options.
The Nouns practice mode teaches the complex rules for combining ordinals with nouns:
y drydedd gath ar ddeg
the 13th cat β feminine trydedd mutates to drydedd after y, cat (cath) mutates to gath
y pymthegfed o Fehefin
the 15th of June β note Mehefin mutates after "o"
After "o" (of), months undergo soft mutation: Ionawr stays Ionawr (no I mutation), but Mawrth β Fawrth, Mai β Fai, Mehefin β Fehefin. The reference table shows all mutated forms.
Understanding some Welsh-specific concepts will help you get more from this app:
Welsh has 29 letters. Importantly, several digraphs (two-character combinations) count as single letters:
The Hangman game uses this proper Welsh alphabet β so "llaeth" (milk) has 4 letters (LL-A-E-TH), not 6!
Welsh has a system of consonant changes called mutations. The initial consonant of a word changes in certain grammatical contexts. For example:
cath β y gath
"cat" β "the cat" β C mutates to G (soft mutation after feminine "y")
pen β fy mhen
"head" β "my head" β P mutates to MH (nasal mutation after "fy")
While this app doesn't teach mutation rules directly, knowing noun genders (via Gender Test modes) is essential for applying mutations correctly.
Every Welsh noun is either masculine or feminine. This affects:
The Gender Test modes and blue/pink colour coding throughout the app help you memorise these.
Many Welsh "verbs" in this app are actually verb-nouns (berfenwau). They're used with auxiliary verbs:
Dw i'n dysgu Cymraeg
"I am learning Welsh" β dysgu (to learn) used with bod (to be)
The app includes over 200 common phrases and nearly 200 idiomatic expressions. These are the lifeblood of natural Welsh β the turns of phrase that make the language sing.
Welsh idioms are a window into the culture's wit and imagination. Many draw on rural life, weather, and the domestic world, reflecting centuries of lived experience in the Welsh landscape. Where English speakers "give up," Welsh speakers rhoi'r ffidil yn y tΓ΄ β put the fiddle in the roof, perhaps hanging up the instrument after the dancing is done. Heavy rain isn't cats and dogs, but hen wragedd a ffyn β old women and sticks clattering down.
Ar Γ΄l tair awr, rhoddodd e'r ffidil yn y tΓ΄.
After three hours, he gave up.
Some idioms will feel familiar β torri'r iΓ’ (breaking the ice), yn y coch (in the red). Others are wonderfully unique to Welsh: someone with no chance has dim gobaith caneri (no hope of a canary); a packed venue is o dan ei sang (under its tread); something in progress is ar y gweill (on the knitting needles).
Mae prosiect newydd ar y gweill.
A new project is in the pipeline.
Roedd y dafarn o dan ei sang nos Sadwrn.
The pub was packed on Saturday night.
A gossip has tafod y gloch (the tongue of a bell), while someone who won't mince words is heb flewyn ar ei thafod (without a hair on her tongue). When that person you were just talking about suddenly appears β sΓ΄n am y blaidd! (mention the wolf!).
SΓ΄n am y blaidd! Dyma fe nawr!
Speak of the devil! Here he is now!
Paid Γ’ phoeni, dim ond tynnu coes ydw i!
Don't worry, I'm only teasing! (literally: pulling a leg)
And when things go wrong? You might find yourself mewn picil (in a pickle) or mewn dΕ΅r poeth (in hot water). But take heart β gwell hwyr na hwyrach (better late than later), and there's always heulwen ar Γ΄l y glaw (sunshine after the rain).
Dw i mewn picil β wedi colli'r allweddi!
I'm in a pickle β lost my keys!
Learning these expressions does more than expand vocabulary β it connects you to the character and humour of Welsh culture. The Idiomau game mode presents each idiom with its literal translation, revealing the imagery behind the phrase, along with its actual meaning. All 195 idioms include example sentences showing natural usage. Each idiom is numbered (1-195) for easy reference β see idiom-reference.txt for a complete printable list.
This app builds your word knowledge, but Welsh fluency also requires grammar study and speaking practice. Use Dysgu Geirfa alongside a structured course, grammar resources, and conversation practice for best results.
Vocabulary coverage has been validated against Geirfan, a research-backed A1/A2 frequency list developed by Cardiff University as part of the CorCenCC (Corpws Cenedlaethol Cymraeg Cyfoes) project. Geirfan identifies the 500 most useful Welsh words for beginner learners based on corpus frequency analysis. Dysgu Geirfa covers 98.9% of the Geirfan core vocabulary.