You don’t need to master the breton language it to make yourself understood, your most sincere smile and a few gestures will open the doors to this country of a thousand secrets, but you never know…
Greetings and Basics:
- Hello – Demat
- Goodbye – Kenavo
- Please – Mar plij
- Thank you – Trugarez
- Yes – Ya
- No – Nann
- Excuse me – Digarezit
- Sorry – Pardon
- I don’t understand – N’on ket o vont
- Do you speak English? – Pegen a vrezhoneg eo ho peus?
Numbers:
- One – Unan
- Two – Daou
- Three – Tri
- Four – Pevar
- Five – Pemp
- Six – C’hwec’h
- Seven – Seizh
- Eight – Eizh
- Nine – Nav
- Ten – Dek
Directions:
- Where is…? – Pelec’h zo…?
- Left – Kleiz
- Right – Dehoù
- Straight ahead – Gant evezh
- North – Reter
- South – Su
- East – Reter
- West – Kornôg
Transportation:
- Train – Tren
- Bus – Autobus
- Airport – Aezianv
- Ticket – Bilhed
- Taxi – Taksi
- Car – Kar
- Bicycle – Bizikl
- Boat – Badez
- Station – Stad
Accommodation:
- Hotel – Ostaleri
- Room – Kamarad
- Reservation – Kevreañ
- Bathroom – Douar-badez
- Bed – Gwele
- Reception – Degemer
- Key – Clef
Food and Drink:
- Restaurant – Kreskiadur
- Menu – Meni
- Water – Dour
- Bread – Bara
- Cheese – Formaj
- Wine – Gwin
- Beer – Bier
- Coffee – Kafe
- Tea – Te
Shopping:
- Shop – Magazin
- Market – Marc’had
- Money – Arc’hant
- How much does it cost? – Pegement eo?
- Expensive – Gwer
- Cheap – Kreg
- I would like… – Poan a ran…
- Can I pay with a card? – Possoñ a ran gant ur c’hard?
Time:
- What time is it? – Piv eo an amzer?
- Now – Bremañ
- Today – An deiz-mañ
- Tomorrow – Warc’hoaz
- Yesterday – Kentañ
- Morning – Moan
- Afternoon – Goude beure
- Evening – Abardaez
Emergencies:
- Help! – Taolit!
- Police – Poulis
- Hospital – Eskemm
- Doctor – Medisin
- Fire – Tan
- Danger – Kaloneger
Leisure:
- Beach – Trenk
- Park – Parc
- Museum – Liesr
- Theatre – Teatr
- Concert – Kontrol
- Music – Sonerezh
- Dance – Dans
Activities:
- Swimming – Nager
- Hiking – E krog
- Sightseeing – Gweladenn
- Shopping – Kenrudañ
- Eating – Boued
- Drinking – Evañ
- Relaxing – Distreiñ
Common Phrases:
- How are you? – Penaoz ‘peus?
- I’m fine, thank you. – Mat ‘meus, trugarez.
- What’s your name? – Perak ho anv?
- My name is… – Ma anv eo…
- Where are you from? – Pelec’h out deuet?
- I’m from… – Deuet am eus…
- I’m lost. – Gwelet am eus.
- Can you help me? – Poan a reot skoazell?
- I’m sorry, I don’t speak Breton well. – Pardoned, n’eo ket brezhoneg mat ma eus.
- Can you repeat that, please? – Poan a reot adlenn, mar plij?
- Good luck! – Poan amzer!
Prefixes (or particles) :
- Ker-: village, hamlet, farm
- Lan-: hermitage, monastery (from the Latin locus sanctus, holy place)
- Plou-: parish
- Tre-: hamlet, village
- Loc-: site dedicated to a saint
- Gué- / Gue- / Gwen-: white, pure
- Men-: stone
- Pen-: head, end
- Poul-: pond
- Ros- / Roz-: hill, mound
- Koad-: wood, forest
- Bod-: dwelling, house
- Beuz-: submerged, drowned (often for places near water)
- Din- / Dine-: fortress
- Douar-: land, earth
- Kern-: cairn, pile of stones
- Porz- / Port-: port, passage
- Poull-: pool, pond
- Toul-: hole, hollow
- Traou-: valley, lowland
- Gou- / Go-: under, small
- Les-: courtyard, walled garden
- Lez- / Les-: court of justice
- Mez-: apple tree
- Mil-: mill
- Mor-: sea
- Nevez-: new
- Pont-: bridge
- Prat-: meadow
- Roud- / Roudou-: spring, stream
- Sant-: saint
- Ti-: house
- Trebez-: summit
- Tref-: village
- Gwer-: green
- Izel-: lower, low
- Uhel-: upper, high
- Houarn-: iron, metallurgy
- Kêr-: town (spelling variant of Ker-)
- Kreiz-: center
- Menez-: mountain
- Moc’h-: pig
- Penn-: head, end
- Toull-: hole
- Traoñ-: lowland, valley
- Treg-: village, hamlet (variant of Tre-)
- Yez-: language
- Is-: under, lower
- Enez-: island
- Gwern-: marsh, wetland