Tiny questions with quick answers - continuing thread

I hope people will find this useful. We had something similar on the old forum where people could post a fairly simple question and get a fairly quick answer. Please feel free to add to this thread.

So, here’s my question. Whenever anyone sneezes I automatically say “Gezundheit” - German of course, and I started wondering what a Welsh speaker would say in that place. Couldn’t find it in my dictionaries, so I’m asking here. Thanks!

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Memory is not so good as we did this at boot camp a dw i wedi anghofio. rhywbeth fel bendith, dw i’n credu.

Hope that does not contain to many mistakes (typing of the top of my head).

Cheers J.P.

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I had the same query today when my other half sneezed. We’d been watching Y Gwyll and speaking a bit of Welsh; when he sneezed I tried to respond quickly without thinking too much, and just came out with “Iechyd!”. Which I think means the same as Gesundheit.

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“Bendith” is what I would use. (literal translation blessing or grace)

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Another vote for ‘Bendith!’ :sunny:

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As, in English, ‘Bless you!’ is usual, I would imagine that Aran is quite right!! I’m afriad I’m not sure if the German means that!!

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Bendith.

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Thanks Aran and Gareth! I’ll start using that (when I remember to). And for henddraig - the German means something more like “good health”.

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Hope this is a short enough question. Llygoden or llygoden bach - mouse. Baby mouse? Llygoden bach bach?
Llygoden fawr - rat, but lygoden fawr bach or fawr fach seems a bit odd! Or do we go for ffrengig bach or fach??

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We’d just stick ‘babi’ in front of it, in this house :sunny:

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Beth am, lygoden fawr ifanc. ( of course Aran’s mastery of the language is neat).

Cheers J.P.

On seeing a tree that’s already showing autumn colours, I said in English ‘that tree is starting to turn’. Can I translate that exactly in Welsh, or would my translation make a Welsh person visualize a tree deracinating itself and doing a pirouette?

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This is just a guess, but maybe “… is starting to change.” ?

It might depend a little on the context, but I’d expect you’d be understood fine :sunny:

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I did actually think of that, but ‘babi’ is closer to the age I had in mind!! However, that brings another question to mind… why is a sweet little mouse male and a large fierce rat female… or French??? :grin:

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Because grammatical gender in Welsh is very much arbitrary and often not dependent on natural gender. It makes as much sense as a stone (carreg) being feminine.

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Thanks Aran!

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How to say
“Turn on” “Turn off” - Electrical stuff etc. - Oddi ar?/ Diffodd?

Cynnau/Rhoi - turn on
Diffodd/Troi - turn off
Much to my surprise - Switsio - is in the dictionary. Switsia’r golau ymlaen/i ffordd

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