Locale Cy Gb

Reference data for the Welsh (United Kingdom) locale — endonym Cymraeg (y Deyrnas Unedig), written in the Latin script, left-to-right (LTR).

Identifiers

• BCP 47 tag: cy-GB
• ISO 639-1: cy
• ISO 639-3: cym
• Script: Latn (Latin)
• Region: GB (United Kingdom)
• Text direction: ltr — left-to-right (LTR)

Speakers (approximate)

• L1 (native): 562,000
• L2 (additional): 338,000
• L1+L2 (total): 900,000

Base locale

This is a regional variant of Locale Cy 001 (Welsh), the base/macro locale for this language.

Pluralization

CLDR plural categories for this locale: zero, one, two, few, many, other (6 forms).

• zero — n = 0 (e.g. 0)
• one — n = 1 (e.g. 1)
• two — n = 2 (e.g. 2)
• few — n = 3 (e.g. 3)
• many — n = 6 (e.g. 6)
• other — everything else (e.g. 4, 5, 7~20, 100, …)

See Unicode Messageformat for writing plural messages using these categories.

Translating into this locale

Apply Locale Cy 001 with the conventions of Wales (United Kingdom).

• Status: Welsh is an official language of Wales. Public bodies must comply with the Welsh Language Standards; Welsh must be treated no less favorably than English.
• Formats: pound sterling (£); dates 17 Hydref 2026; 24-hour clock; decimal point.
• Place names: Welsh place names (Caerdydd, Abertawe, Aberystwyth) are official; use them in Welsh text and keep standard forms.
• Dialects: North and South Wales vocabulary differ in speech; the written standard is shared.

Common pitfalls

• Using English place names in Welsh text where Welsh forms exist.
• Treating Welsh as a secondary translation.
• The general pitfalls in Locale Cy 001 also apply.

Learn more

• Locale for BCP 47 identifiers, locale-sensitive formatting, pluralization, and text-direction concepts that apply across all locales.
• Unicode Messageformat for writing plural/selection messages correctly for this locale's grammar.
• Welsh Language Commissioner (https://www.welshlanguagecommissioner.wales)