Week 40 - Main grammatical points Responses to statements
In Welsh as in English we often make statements which can or can not be responded to. In Welsh however the Yes or No form depends on the person and tense of the verb.
Arwyn says:
Mae eitha criw yma - There's quite a crowd here
And Agnes responds - Oes yes there is
The best way to find out what the yes response is is to change the statement into a question
Mae criw yma - There's a crowd here Question form Is there a crowd here - Oes criw yma Answer Oes or Nac oes
Look at the following examples:
Mae hi'n braf - It's fine Question form would be Is it fine - Ydy hi'n braf?
Answer Ydy or Nac ydy
Maen nhw'n hwyr - They're late - Ydyn nhw'n hwyr
Answer Ydyn or Nac ydyn
Other responses follow the same pattern
Roedd hi'n stormus - Oedd Byddi di'n siwr o'i adnabod - Bydda Welais i ti yn y gêm - Do Note however that the response to all emphatic sentences is Ie or Nage
Yn y ty wyt ti - Ie Gareth wyt ti - Nage
Pryd/Pan
You will have noted that there are two ways of translating the word 'when' in Welsh.
Wendy asks Brian Pryd ydw i'n dy weld ti to? - When will I see you again
Brian says pan ddaw o neu hi - when he or she comes
The general rule is that pryd is used as a question form and pan is used with a statement
Here are some more examples Pryd ydych chi'n cael eich pen-blwydd? Pryd mae'r gêm? Pryd wyt ti'n codi?
Pan fyddwch chi'n dod i'r dref, galwch i'n gweld i Dw i yn ei gofio fe pan oedd e yn yr ysgol Pan oeddwn i ar fy ngwyliau, fe ges i ddamwain
Rhywle/Rhywbryd/Rhywfaint etc.
Rhyw meaning some is an important little word in Welsh and it's to be found preceding words such as lle, un, pryd, sut, maint.
