In English, we have two kinds of article: a definite article ('the') and an indefinite article ('a', 'an'). Welsh has no word for 'a' (you can still say 'uh', though, when you're trying to think of what to say next). The Welsh language thus proves the indefinite article to be superfluous by omitting it. (Some languages, such as Russian and Latin, omit both articles, but that's for a different set of lessons.) Thus, the word 'car' can be translated either 'car' or 'a car', depending on the context.
The definite article in Welsh has three different forms, just as the English indefinite article has two forms. They are summarized in the table below:
Condition Form
If the preceding word ends in a vowel 'r
Else if the next word starts with a vowel yr
Otherwise y
An 'h' at the beginning of a word is considered a vowel.
y gwely the bed
yr achos the cause
yr haf the summer
Mae'r gwely yma. The bed is here.
Although most place names do not
use the definite article, there are a few that do, including:
yr Affrig Africa
yr Alban Scotland
yr Eidal Italy
y Swistir Switzerland
As mentioned back in Section 2.1, the verb 'to be' is used as a helping verb in making the present tense of other verbs. The particle 'yn' is used to do the linking. (The 'y' sound in 'yn' is obscure.) Here's the general sentence pattern:
Mae Alun yn darllen. Alun is reading.After vowels, the 'yn' is contracted:
Mae hi'n darllen. She is reading.The sentences in this format can be translated 'is reading', 'reads', or 'does read'. A direct object can be placed after the verb:
Rydyn ni'n darllen llyfr. We are reading a book.Negative sentences can be constructed in a similar fashion:
Dydy hi ddim yn darllen. She doesn't read.
Mae Alun a Mari yn mynd. Alun and Mari go.
Mae llewod yn mynd. Lions go.
Maen nhw'n mynd. They go.
No language would be complete without adjectives (although I am told Hebrew has only a few), and Welsh is no exception. Welsh is like French in that it places the adjective after the noun that it modifies:
gwely bach a little bedThe adverb 'iawn' (very) goes right after the adjective it modifies:
da iawn very good
'This' and 'that' can be expressed by putting the definite article before the word and either 'ma or 'na (respectively) after the word:
yr achos 'ma this cause
y ty+ 'na that house
Make up sentences by picking one item from each column
Mae Sia+n a fi yn | meddwl yn y ty+ 'na.
Dydyn ni ddim yn | gweld gwely yma.
Rydw i'n | byw yn yr Eidal.
Mae tigrod yn | darllen llyfr bach.
Mae nhw'n | osgoi'r plentyn 'ma.
[A translation of this conversation can be found in a different file.]
a (ac) - (conj.) and achos - (conj.) cause, because Affrig, yr - Africa bach - (adj.) small ble - where byw - (v.) to live ci - dog da - (adj.) good darllen - (v.) to read Eidal, yr - Italy gadael - (v.) to leave, to let geirfa - vocabulary gweld - (v.) to see gwely - bed haf - summer iard - yard iawn - (adv.) very llewod - lions llyfr - book mam - mother mawr - (adj.) large meddwl - (v.) to think mynd - (v.) to go osgoi - (v.) to avoid pam - why plentyn - child sgwrs - talk, chat, conversation Swistir, y - Switzerland ty+ - house yma - here ymarfer - practice yn - (prep.) in yn - <untranslatable particle>
[The answers can be found in a separate file.]
1. Give the correct form of the definite article below:
a. Ble mae _____ ci? b. Wyt ti'n gadael _____ achos? c. Ydych chi'n gweld _____ llewod? d. Rydw i yn _____ iard. e. Maen nhw yn _____ ty+. f. Ble mae _____ haf?2. Translate the following sentences into Welsh
a. I read a good book. b. Alun and Nerys avoid lions. c. The little child lives in this house. d. I think because I am. e. We don't leave that cause. f. Lions don't think in the summer. g. Do you (formal) live in Switzerland? No. h. They see that very good child. i. Is the big dog in the yard? Yes.