Compound Words

Level 5

prif (main) + dinas (city) = prifddinas (capital city). When two words join together, the second one usually softens.

How It Works

Why the second part softens. Most Welsh adjectives come after the noun, but a few come before it and soften it: hen ddyn, prif weinidog (see Adjectives Before the Noun). A close compound is the same idea squeezed into one word: the first part describes the second, and the second part softens.

  • prif + dinas → prifddinas — capital city
  • llyfr + cell → llyfrgell — library ("book room")
  • cyd + gweithio → cydweithio — work together, cooperate
  • canol + parth → canolbarth — middle region (y Canolbarth = Mid Wales)
  • hen + taid → hen-daid — great-grandfather (North; the South says hen-dad-cu). The hyphen shows that the stress stays on daid, and taid still softens after hen.

Compass points. The in-between directions are compounds too: gogledd-ddwyrain (north-east), de-orllewin (south-west), gogledd-orllewin (north-west).

Place names. Many place names are old compounds with mutation: Llanfair is llan (church) + Mair (Mary).

Prefixes soften too. Many prefixes work like prif-. For example, rhag- (fore-, pre-) gives rhag + barn → rhagfarn (prejudice) and rhag + llen → rhaglen (programme).

Not every compound mutates. In a loose compound of noun + adjective, the normal rule for adjectives applies: after a masculine noun there is no change (tad-cu, grandfather, South), and after a feminine noun the adjective softens (mam-gu, grandmother, South); see Adjectives After Feminine Nouns. Some prefixes cause other mutations; see Negative Prefixes.

Examples (6)

  1. Mae prifddinas Cymru ar lan y môr.

    The capital of Wales is by the sea.

    Prif + dinas: d softens to dd.

  2. Mae'r llyfrgell ar gau ar ddydd Sul.

    The library is closed on Sundays.

    Llyfr + cell: c softens to g.

  3. Mae'r ddwy ysgol yn cydweithio'n dda.

    The two schools work well together.

    Cyd + gweithio: g drops.

  4. Roedd fy hen-daid yn löwr.

    My great-grandfather was a miner.

    North Wales word; the South says hen-dad-cu.

  5. Bydd cawodydd yn y gogledd-orllewin.

    There will be showers in the north-west.

    Gogledd + gorllewin: g drops.

  6. Mae hi'n byw yn y Canolbarth.

    She lives in Mid Wales.

    Canol + parth: p softens to b.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the second part unmutated.

    Mae prifdinas Cymru ar lan y môr.
    Mae prifddinas Cymru ar lan y môr.

    In the compound, dinas softens to ddinas: prifddinas.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Compound WordsLevel 5

Learn This First

Close compounds soften their second element.