==========================
An HTML version of this lesson can be found at
[http://www.cs.brown.edu/fun/welsh/Lesson03.html]
Contents:
3.1. How to say 'a' and 'the'
3.2. How to say 'I am reading'
3.3. Adjectives I
3.4. 'This' and 'that'
Ymarfer
Sgwrs
Geirfa
Exercises
3.1. How to say 'a' and 'the'
-----------------------------
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
_Note:_ An 'h' at the beginning of a word is considered a vowel.
Some examples:
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
_Note_on_pronunciation:_ The 'y's in the definite article go against
the normal pronunciation of 'y' in monosyllabic words, and are
obscure.
3.2. How to say 'I am reading'
------------------------------
As mentioned back in Lesson 2, 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.
_Note:_ The singular form of the verb is always used with a compound
or plural subject. The 'maen' form only occurs with the pronoun
'nhw'. Thus, we have
Mae Alun a Mari yn mynd. Alun and Mari go.
Mae teigrod yn mynd. Tigers go.
Maen nhw'n mynd. They go.
3.3. Adjectives I
-----------------
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 bed
The adverb 'iawn' (very) goes right after the adjective it modifies:
da iawn very good
3.4. 'This' and 'that'
----------------------
'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
Ymarfer
-------
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.
________________________________________________
Sgwrs
-----
[A translation of this conversation can be found in a different file.]
Plentyn bach: Ble mae'r ci mawr yn byw?
Mam: Mae'r ci yn byw yma yn y ty+.
Plentyn: O. Ble mae teigrod yn byw?
Mam: Maen nhw'n byw yn yr Affrig.
Plentyn: Ydw i'n byw yn yr Affrig?
Mam: Nag wyt. Dwyt ti ddim yn byw yn yr Affrig.
Plentyn: Ti a Dadi, ydych chi'n byw yn yr Affrig?
Mam: Nag ydyn. Dydyn ni ddim yn byw yn yr Affrig.
Plentyn: Pam?
Mam: Achos rydyn ni'n osgoi teigrod.
Geirfa
------
a (ac) - and
achos - cause, because
Affrig, yr - Africa
bach - small
ble - where
byw - to live
ci - dog
da - good
darllen - to read
Eidal, yr - Italy
gadael - to leave, to let
geirfa - vocabulary
gweld - to see
gwely - bed
haf - summer
iard - yard
iawn - very
llyfr - book
mam - mother
mawr - large
meddwl - to think
mynd - to go
osgoi - to avoid
pam - why
plentyn - child
sgwrs - talk, chat, conversation
Swistir, y - Switzerland
teigrod - tigers
ty+ - house
ymarfer - practice
yn - in
yn -
_Notes:_
(1) The 'ac' form is used before vowels.
(2) The 'y' in both forms of 'yn' is obscure.
Exercises
---------
[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 _____ tigrod?
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 tigers.
c. The little child lives in this house.
d. I think because I am.
e. We don't leave that cause.
f. Tigers 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.