We've already come across the conditional tense conveyed in Welsh by the form Byddwn i.
In North Wales the form commonly heard is buaswn i - I would. Often people will use the mutated form - fuaswn i. Don't worry - it doesn't change the meaning at all. In fact, these forms are often shortened and you might even hear 'swn i - I would. The negative form is 'fuaswn i ddim' or 'swn i ddim - I wouldn't.
Here are the full forms.
Fuaswn i - I would Fuaset ti - You would Fuasai Brian - Brian would Fuasai o - He would Fuasai hi - She would Fuasen ni - We would Fuasech chi - You would Fuasen nhw - They would
(note the subtle difference between fuaswn i - I would and fuasen ni - We would)
The Question and answer follows the usual pattern of Welsh verbs. You repeat the verb to say 'yes' and 'no':
Fuaset ti? - Would you? - Buaswn - Yes (Literally: I would) Fuaset ti? - Na fuaswn - No (I wouldn't) Fuasai hi? - Would she? - Buasai - Yes (She would)
Two words that often cause some confusion for learners are 'byth'and 'erioed' both of which mean 'ever' as well as 'never'
'Byth' is normally used to refer to the present or the future while 'erioed' usually refers to events in the past
Dydw i byth eisiau mynd yno eto. I never want to go there again.
Cymru am byth. Wales for ever.
Dydy Bryn erioed wedi gweld opera. Bryn has never seen an opera.
Wyt ti erioed wedi bod i Sbaen? Have you ever been to Spain?
Note that 'byth' is one of the few words in Welsh that resists mutation. What a relief!
