HOME PAGE Language notes Sentences Article Story Use of Welsh Description Understanding Welsh Audio Story board

Session 1

Language notes

The verbs occurring most frequently in Welsh sentences are made up from a verb noun (e.g. cerdded - walking) combined with an appropriate form of 'bod' - 'to be'.

The simple present tense for neutral unstressed sentences such as 'I am walking to the town' is:

singular plural

1st person Rydw i'n cerdded Rydyn ni'n cerdded

or Dw i'n cerdded

2nd person Rwyt ti'n cerdded Rydych chi'n cerdded

3rd person Mae e/o/hi'n cerdded Maen nhw'n cerdded

The 3rd person singular may use 'e' (South Wales) or 'o' (North Wales) for 'he' or 'it' (masculine), and 'hi' for 'she' or 'it' (feminine).

For stressed sentences, different forms are used, for example: 'Are you staying or going?' 'I am staying.' The word order is changed to place the stressed word at the beginning of the sentence:

singular plural

1st person Aros ydw i Aros ydyn ni

2nd person Aros wyt ti Aros ydych chi

3rd person Aros ydy e/o/hi Aros ydyn nhw

Another example would be: 'Dafydd is the winner' (not someone else)

Dafydd ydy'r enillydd

By putting the stressed word at the start of the sentence, the word order has changed from the normal verb-subject-object pattern to become subject-verb-object.

Notice that the 3rd person singular form of 'bod' has changed from mae to ydy.

Questions use similar patterns, combining a verb noun (e.g. gweithio - work) with a form of 'bod', and use 'ydy' in the 3rd person singular:

singular plural

1st Ydw i'n gweithio? Ydyn ni'n gweithio?

2nd Wyt ti'n gweithio? Ydych chi'n gweithio?

3rd Ydy e/o/hi'n gweithio? Ydyn nhw'n gweithio?

Negative forms insert the word 'dim' - none. For example, 'I am not buying a car', etc. would use the forms:

singular plural

1st Dydw i ddim yn prynu Dydyn ni ddim yn prynu

2nd Dwyt ti ddim yn prynu Dydych chi ddim yn prynu

3rd Dydy e/o/hi ddim yn prynu Dydyn nhw ddim yn prynu

An alternative structure for producing a negative sentence is to use the word 'nad' or 'nid' before the verb:

singular plural

1st Nid ydw i'n prynu Nid ydyn ni'n prynu

2nd Nid wyt ti'n prynu Nid ydych chi'n prynu

3rd Nid ydy e/o/hi 'n prynu Nid ydyn nhw'n prynu

Treigladau

Treigladau in Welsh can change the initial letters of many words, including nouns, adjectives and verbs, under a variety of circumstances according to grammatical rules.

The most frequently used treiglad is the treiglad meddal, or 'soft mutation'. This affects certain consonants and produces specific changes at the start of words. In the list which follows, all the nouns shown are feminine.

The examples of the nouns following 'y' (the article 'the') demonstrate the rule:

A soft mutation usually occurs after the article 'y' in the

case of singular feminine nouns. Exceptions are 'rh' and 'll',

where the normal mutation is not applied after 'y'.

p becomes b priodas - y briodas the wedding

t becomes d telyn - y delyn the harp

c becomes g canolfan - y ganolfan the centre

b becomes f byddin - y fyddin the army

m becomes f modrwy - y fodrwy the ring

d becomes dd derbynfa - y dderbynfa the reception

ll becomes l llinell - y llinell the line

rh become r rhestr - y rhestr the list

g is lost gwawr - y wawr the dawn

Note that there is no soft mutation with masculine singular or any plural nouns:

bwrdd (m) - y bwrdd the table ci (m) - y ci the dog

priodas (f) - y priodasau the weddings

byddin (f) - y byddinoedd the armies

A common situation requiring a soft mutation is when adjectives follow feminine singular nouns. For example:

mawr large pont fawr large bridge (f)

cyffyrddus comfortable cadair gyffyrddus comfortable chair (f)

llwyd grey gwylan lwyd grey seagull (f)

The rule applies to multiple adjectives, for example:

cadair fawr las gyfforddus wag large blue comfortable empty chair

A soft mutation is not applied after a masculine singular, nor any plural noun.

Idioms

The word 'to' in English can be translated in different ways in Welsh, depending on the circumstanes:

The action of going to a place or organisation uses 'i':

Rydw i'n mynd i'r dref heddiw.

I am going to the town today.

Rwy'n ysgrifennu llythyr i'r ysgol.

I am writing a letter to the school.

The action of going to a person uses 'at':

Mae'n mynd at y deintydd.

He is going to the dentist.

Mae'n anfon yr arian at yr adeiladwr.

He is sending the money to the builder.

The Welsh word 'at' appears in many idioms, for example:

at ddant - to one's taste

Bydd y cynllun at ddant pobl leol.

The plan will be to the taste of local people.

at ei gilydd - on the whole, generally

Roedd y c�r, at ei gilydd, yn hapus gyda'r perfformiad.

The choir were generally happy with the performance.

at wasanaeth - for the use of

Mae'r llungop�wr at wasanaeth staff swyddfa yn unig.

The photocopier is for the use of office staff only.

tuag at - towards

Mae'r dorf yn symud tuag at yr orsaf reilffordd.

The crowd is moving towards the railway station.

If you would like the web page to save your work, please log-in or register before entering your answers

Sentences

Sentence 1 of 20: I am walking up the stairs.

You are invited to translate this article into Welsh.

Vocabulary

sandy tywodlyd adjective; rocky creigiog adjective;

mining cloddio verb; steel dur noun (m);

forestry coedwigaeth noun (f) ; quarrying chwarela verb;

reservoir cronfa ddŵr noun (f); cliff clogwyn noun (m);

remains olion noun (pl); supply cyflenwi verb;

Visiting Wales

Wales is a small country but there are many interesting places to see.
Snowdonia has high mountains.
It is popular with walkers and climbers.
Along the coast of Pembrokeshire and the Llŷn Peninsula are sandy beaches and rocky cliffs.
There are beautiful views from the coast path.
South Wales has an important history of coal, iron and steel.
The main cities are Cardiff and Swansea.
They have busy shopping centres and many hotels and restaurants.
Farming and forestry are important in the centre of Wales.
Large reservoirs supply drinking water to cities in Wales and England.
There are many historical sites around Wales.
There are castles and remains of old industries such as slate quarrying and mining for gold, copper and lead.

Translate the sentence:

Wales is a small country but there are many interesting places to see.

Suggested translation: (a number of alternatives acceptable)

Speaking and writing challenge

You are invited to speak in Welsh for a maximum of 3 minutes on the subject given below. Try to speak fluently, keeping your language simple and avoiding unfamiliar vocabulary.

A language student living in an overseas country has learned Welsh and is now planning to visit Wales for the first time. Suggest to the student some places or areas that they should definitely visit.

Before you begin speaking, make a list in Welsh of each key point that you want to mention. Enter the list in the box below, keeping each point to a few words in length:

When you have finished speaking, go back and expand each of the list items into a full sentence. Link the sentences to produce a final written article in Welsh.

Story

The set of icons below was randomly selected, and has been used to write a story.

You are invited to translate the story into Welsh.

Vocabulary

confused dryslyd adjective; engineer peiriannydd noun (m/f);

pylon peilon noun (m); design dyluniad noun (m);

structure strwythur noun (m); gorge ceunant noun (m) ;

footbridge pont droed noun;

Dewi wants to go out to the countryside for some physical exercise.
He feels confused because of a problem at work.
He is an engineer and he must design a footbridge to cross a deep gorge.
It has been a difficult problem.
He packs his walking boots and some food for lunch, then he sets off on his bike.
He leaves his bike at the top of a valley where the track becomes too steep, then he continues on foot.
When he comes over the top of the hill, he sees a huge electricity pylon in front of him.
He suddenly realises that the shape of part of the pylon is ideal for his bridge design.
He takes photographs of the structure, then he returns to his bicycle feeling very content.

Translate the sentence:

Dewi wants to go out to the countryside for some physical exercise.

Suggested translation: (a number of alternatives acceptable)

Create your own story in Welsh

Click the button to randomly select a set of story icons:

Use of Welsh

Jones Hardware

Jones Hardware is a small store in a town in south Wales. The business has a web site advertising its products and services. The web site includes a 'Find us' section with a map and directions for customers arriving from different directions. You are asked to provide a Welsh translation of the route directions.

Vocabulary

motorway traffordd noun (f); roundabout cylchfan noun (f);

junction cyffordd noun (f); industrial estate yst�d ddiwydiannol noun;

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tudful;

Translate the sentence:

Travelling from Cardiff.

Suggested translation: (a number of alternatives acceptable)

Description

Write four or five sentences in Welsh to describe the picture:

Galw ar bobol Meirionydd i gefnogi siopau lleol dros y Nadolig

Mae grŵp o 18 o fusnesau ym Meirionnydd wedi dod ynghyd er mwyn annog pobol i siopa�n lleol dros y Nadolig. Maen nhw wedi lansio cynllun tocyn anrheg gall pobol ei wario mewn amrywiaeth o siopau ym Meirionnydd. Rydyn ni`n gwybod pa mor bwysig ydi cefnogi busnesau bach annibynnol sy�n asgwrn cefn i�n cymunedau.

Mae�r tocyn anrheg wir yn cynnig rhywbeth arbennig ac yn dangos yr amrywiaeth o ran talent a busnes sy�n bodoli o fewn ein cylch. Y peth gwych ydi gall y tocyn anrheg fynd tuag at neges wythnosol, neu fyrgyr, neu sesiwn dysgu Cymraeg, llesiant, neu i fynd am dro efo tywyswyr profiadol ar y fferm, trwy�r goedwig, neu i fyny�r mynydd. Mae�n ddelfrydol fel anrheg Nadolig.

Mae`n rhaid i ni weithio efo�n gilydd fel hyn yn ein trefi a phentrefi�. dyna ydi�r ffordd ymlaen.

Enter each section of your story in Welsh in the boxes below:

1

2

3

4

Click to download a PDF copy of the course materials