Hafan / Home; Map y Safle / Site Map

Dewch yn Ddysgwr. Dechreuwch ddysgu siarad yr iaith y nefoedd heddiw.

Become a Dysgwr. Start learning to speak the language of heaven today.

Yn ol i'r Mynegai Dysgwyr / Back to the Learners' Index

Tudalennau 'r Dysgwyr - Welsh Learners' Pages

Gramadeg / Grammar

Trefn Geiriau / Word Order

Trefn Geiriau Arferol / Normal Word Order

Word order in Welsh differs from that in English. The normal word order in the Welsh sentence is verb–subject–object:

Canolbwynt / Focus

Focusing is a technique whereby a particular element in a sentence is singled out for emphasis. English achieves this by intonation, putting stress on the emphasised word. In Welsh the emphasis is achieved by word order, bringing the subject of the emphasis to the beginning of the sentence.

Cwestiynau / Questions

In English questions are generally phrased by promoting the verb towards the start of the sentence — Do you speak Welsh?. Clearly this is not possible with the verb normally appearing first so Welsh indicates questions either by intonation or by using the interrogative form of the verb (usually formed by using the 'mutated' form (see Mutations).

Enwau / Nouns

Cenhedlloedd / Gender

Nouns in Welsh are either masculine or feminine - in most cases the gender is not predictable and should be learnt for each noun. Feminine nouns differ from masculine nouns in two respects:

1. In the singular they undergo soft mutation after the definite article.

   Bwrdd = table (m);	and	Bwydlen = menu (f)
   y bwrdd = the table	but	y fwydlen = the menu

2. In the singular they cause soft mutation of a following adjective.

   Drws = door (m);	and	Dafad = sheep (f)
   Drws dur = a black door	but	dafad ddu = a black sheep

Lluosogion / Plurals

There are a variety of ways in which nouns form their plurals, and, as with the gender, the plural must be learnt with the noun.

1. Most nouns form their plural by the addition of an ending — the most common plural endings are –au, –iau, –on, and –ion:

   llyfr = book	llyfrau = books
   defnydd = material	defnyddiau = materials
   geiriadur = dictionary	geiriaduron = dictionaries
   dyn = man	dynion = men

2. Some nouns form their plural by internal vowel change:

   troed = foot	traed = feet
   oen = lamb	w^yn = lambs
   carreg = stone	cerrig = stones

3. Some nouns form their plural by both the addition of an ending and internal vowel change:

   braich = arm	breichiau = arms
   cwrs = course	cyrsiau = courses
   saer = carpenter	seiri = carpenters

4. A small number of nouns form their plural by both the removal of an ending:

   coeden = tree

   coed = trees

Rhagenwau / Pronouns

Rhagenwau Personol / Personal Pronouns

None of the personal pronouns make any distinction between subject and object, but several of them have variant forms depending on how they are used:

• First person singular - (I/me)

  i	the regular form. Used: as the subject of verbs — dw i, I am; generally with the 'conjugated' or amalgamated prepositions — arna i, on me (but note that the preposition i uses either fi or mi) as the (mainly optional) 'echoing' or reinforcing pronoun with the possessive adjective fy (and its variants f', 'yn,, 'n, and nasal mutation) — 'n ffenest i, my window; mhlant i, my children as the object of verbnouns (though fi may also be used here) — Ellwch chi nghlywed i, can you hear me with compound prepositions — o mlaen i, in front of me; ar 'n o^l i, after me
  mi	restricted to two main circumstances: after the preposition i — i mi, to/for me (fi may also be used here) with the northern preterite auxiliary ddaru — ddaru mi weld nhw, I saw them
  fi	used: always as the object of the imperative — dilynwch fi, follow me generally as the object of verbnouns ending in a vowel — nest ti anghofio fi?, did you forget me? optionally as the object of other verbnouns (instead of i) — Ellwch chi nghlywed fi, can you hear me after non–conjugated prepositions — heblaw fi, except me optionally after the preposition i — i fi, to/for me (mi may also be used here)

• Second person singular informal - (you/thou)

  ti	The normal form used in all circumstances except those listed under di below
  di	used: in the inflected future — gymeri di ragor, will you take some more as the 'echoing' pronoun with the possessive adjective dy — dy neges di, your message as a reinforcing pronoun after a singular imperative — aros di fan hyn, you wait here (not after paid (don't) which uses ti)
  chdi	An alternative to ti used widely in North Wales, but cannot be used as the subject of preterite verbs

• Third person singular masculine - (he/him/it)

  e (south) o (north)	Used: As the subject of a verbnoun ending in a consonant — bydd e/o he will be As the object of a verbnoun — dw i heb weld e/o, I haven't seen it (masculine) As the 'echoing' pronoun with the possessive adjective ei — ei gar e/o, his car
  fe (south) fo (north)	Used: as the subject of a verbnoun ending in a vowel — byddai fe/fo he would be (but note that mae e/o is the exception) after the plural imperative ending -wch when both e/o and fe/fo are acceptable — anwybyddwch e/o/fe/fo, ignore him

The remaining personal pronouns do not vary

• Third person singular feminine — hi, she/her/it
• First person plural — ni, we/us
• Second person plural and/or formal — chi, you
• Third person plural — nhw, they/them

A set of extended personal pronouns also exist. They are used mainly for emphasis and contrast, with their variants being used in the same circumstances as the variants of the standard set of pronouns

• First person singular — innau/minnau/finnau, I/me
• Second person singular informal — tithau/dithau, you/thou
• Third person singular masculine — yntau/fothau, he/him/it (no north/south variant)
• Third person singular feminine — hithau, she/her/it
• First person plural — ninnau, we/us
• Second person plural and/or formal — chithau, you
• Third person plural — nhwthau, they/them

a finnau!, and me!

Rhagenwau Meddiannol/Ansoddeiriol / Possessive/Adjectival Pronouns

Unlike most adjectives (see below), the possessive pronouns precede the noun. They may optionally be 'ecchoed' by the corresponding personal pronoun.

• First person singular — fy … (fi), my
  If the following word is susceptible to nasal mutation, the mutation occurs and 'fy' is dropped, hence fy het i (my hat), but nghar i (my car)
• Second person singular informal — dy … (di), your/thy
  Causes soft mutation of the following word, hence dy ben di your head
• Third person singular masculine — ei … (e/o), his/its
  Causes soft mutation of the following word, hence ei fam e his mother
• Third person singular feminine — ei … (hi), her/its
  Causes spirant and aspirant mutation of the following word, hence ei thad hi her father, ei hafal hi her apple
• First person plural — ein … (ni), our
  Causes aspirant mutation of the following word, hence ein tad ni our father, ein hiaith ni our language
• Second person plural and/or formal — eich … (chi), your
• Third person plural — eu … (nhw), their
  Causes aspirant mutation of the following word, hence eu tad nhw their father, eu henwau nhw their names

Ansoddeiriau / Adjectives

Generally, adjectives follow the noun — cath du, a black cat. There are however a small number of notable exceptions.

The following always precede the noun:

1. The definite article y (yr before a vowel, 'r following a vowel). Soft mutation of feminine singular nouns occurs except those starting ll and rh
2. The possesive pronouns (see above)
3. The cardinal numbers, un, dau/dwy, tri/tair, pedwar/pedair, etceteras
4. The ordinal adjectives unfed, ail, eilfed, trydydd/tridedd, pedwerydd/pedwaredd, pumed, chweched, etceteras, except that cyntaf (first) and olaf (last) may precede or follow the noun
5. Rhyw (some, acertain) and its compounds unrhyw (any), amryw (various), cyfryw (such, all)
6. The interrogative adjectives pa (what, which),

The following may either precede or follow the noun, the difference frequently inferring a difference in meaning

Ansoddeiriau Cymharol ac Uchaf / Comparitive and Superlative

Berfau / Verbs

Terfyniadau Berfol / Verb endings

Barfau Gorchmynnol / Imperative Verbs

Berfau Afreolaidd / Irregular verbs

Adferfau / Adverbs

Arddodiaid / Prepositions

Yn ol i'r Mynegai Dysgwyr / Back to the Learners' Index