Welsh musician and content creator’s ironic ‘Welsh Lessons’

Meg Davies

A Welsh content creator and musician has been entertaining TikTok users through playful mis-teachings of the Welsh language.

Known as Yxngxr1, the Welsh musician makes Welsh-language TikTok content “teaching” common phrases in Welsh – except the translations are not what they might seem to non-Welsh speakers.

Yxngxr1 is quickly becoming an upcoming staple of the indie-rap genre.

Hailing from Cardiff, the artist boasts an evident DIY ethos with many of his six albums being self-made.

The TikToker has amassed thousand of views pranking people about the Welsh language, showcasing his dry sense of humour and love for his homeland.

@yxngblxnde1 welsh for today #wales #welsh #welshtiktok #languagelearning ♬ The Beginning – Flawed Mangoes

Wyt ti eisia pysgod?

One of his Welsh lessons teaches viewers to compliment people with “Wyt ti eisiau pysgod”.

He explains this means, “Wow that’s really nice”, while the real translation (“Do you want fish?”) could not be more different.

@yxngblxnde1 welsh lesson #wales #welsh #welshtiktok #languagelearning ♬ The Beginning – Flawed Mangoes

He also encourages viewers to ask “Beth yw’r amser mr blaidd”, when asking people for the time, saying the “mr blaidd part is very important”.

He explains this means, “What’s the time, please/thank you”, so that gullible viewers will unknowingly ask “What’s the time Mr Wolf”.

He gives a sneaky clue in the video, with a brief caption that reads: “A Welsh translator who teaches wrong translations”.

@yxngblxnde1 welsh lesson 5, you’re welcome i guess #wales #welshtiktok #welsh #languagelearning ♬ The Beginning – Flawed Mangoes

Fellow Welsh speakers have connected with the humorous side of his content, saying “As an actual welsh person I CAN’T EVEN”.

@yxngblxnde1 more welsh lessons #welsh #welshtiktok #wales #languagelearning ♬ Swimming – Flawed Mangoes

Others commented: ‘I’M DYING I’M WELSH THIS IS TOO FUNNY’ and ‘I go to a welsh school and I’m laughing my head off’.

Some respond with equally sarcastic comments like “Don’t forget ‘I love you’ is ‘ga i fynd i’r tŷ bach’” or ‘“Do you speak English?” is Dwi’n hoffi coffi’.

Katie Fletch wrote: “Not even my Welsh teacher is this fluent!”

Growing acclaim

Whilst the Welsh lessons are just a sideline for the Welsh artist, he’s fast gaining a reputation for his musical skills which have resulted in a growing fanbase across the world.

In early 2019, yxngxr1 began posting songs to SoundCloud and released his debut single, Tyler, and his debut album, Childhood Dreams.

In 2020, yxngxr1 released a new album titled, I Don’t Suit Hats, following that up with a new EP, Yellow Yellow Yellow that same year.

In 2021, yxngxr1 released two new albums, Digikid and Digikid 2, and in 2022 he released an album titled, Teenage Motel, that featured songs such as Nice Guy, BMW, and Sweatshirt.

His most recent release was in 2023, when he released a new album titled ‘where has everyone gone‘.

He told Wordplay magazine: “This EP is more sonically driven, less about the lyrics and the flow of the EP.”

“The songs in here are beautiful, but different. I’ve had a little moment of change where I wanted to try something different.”

“The name ‘where has everyone gone’ is more of a reflection of growing up and realising everyone is doing their own things now, friendship groups don’t really exist as much and people are moving on”.

Listen to ‘where has everyone gone’ on Spotify.

Follow Yxngxr1 on YouTube or on TikTok.