Appendix:Welsh conjugation

There are two sets of rules for conjugating Welsh verbs: one for colloquial Welsh and one for literary Welsh.

Inflection involves adding the required suffix on to the verb stem. For instance, to form the colloquial first-person singular preterite form of yfed (to drink), we take the verb stem yf and add on the required ending (ais) to form yfais.

Colloquial conjugation is much simpler than in literary Welsh: only the preterite, conditional and future tenses, as well as the imperative mood, are built by inflecting the verb stem itself and, even then, all the tenses, as well as the negative imperative (but not the positive), can be formed periphrastically with a conjugated form of an auxiliary verb (bod, gwneud, darfod (in its form ddaru), or peidio). The passive voice is formed periphrastically with a conjugated form of cael. Negations are formed by putting ddim after the subject and mutating the conjugating verb (a mixed mutation). Letters which undergo an aspirate mutation do so; otherwise a soft mutation occurs (if possible). Example inflections are shown below using the verb gweld (“to see”).

The periphrastic conjugation of the imperfective present, imperfect, future, and conditional tenses is in the form of: conjugated form of bod + subject + yn + verbal noun. The verbal noun does not mutate except for affirmative and interrogative forms after the hoffwn and dylwn patterns. Negated forms require ddim to follow the subject. The table below shows the relevant colloquial conjugated forms of bod. Note: some contracted/regional forms have been omitted for conciseness.

Examples:

• Present: Dw i’n byw ym Mhontypridd. ― I live in Pontypridd.
• Imperfect: Doedd Rhys ddim yn hoffi coffi. ― Rhys did not like coffee.
• Future: Fyddwch chi’n yfed y dŵr? ― Will you drink the water?
• Conditional: Bydden ni’n teithio ar y bws. ― We would travel by bus.

The future and conditional can also be formed inflectionally:

• Future: Yfwch chi’r dŵr? ― Will you drink the water?
• Conditional: Teithien ni ar y bws. ― We would travel by bus.

The periphrastic conjugation of the present perfect, pluperfect, future perfect, and conditional perfect tenses is in the form of: conjugated form of bod + subject + wedi + verbal noun. Examples include:

• Present perfect: Dw i wedi byw ym Mhontypridd. ― I have lived in Pontypridd.
• Pluperfect: Doedd Rhys ddim wedi hoffi coffi. ― Rhys had not liked coffee.
• Future perfect: Fyddwch chi wedi yfed y dŵr? ― Will you have drunk the water?
• Conditional perfect: Bydden ni wedi teithio ar y bws. ― We would have travelled by bus.

These tenses can be negated either with ddim wedi or with heb (“without”), which triggers soft mutation of the verbal noun and which takes the affirmative form of the verb. Thus Dydy ’nhad ddim wedi gweld y ffilm ’to (“My father hasn’t seen the film yet”) can be rephrased as Mae ’nhad heb weld y ffilm ’to.

The periphrastic conjugation of the preterite is either in the form of conjugated preterite form of gwneud + subject + verbal noun or in the form of ddaru + subject + verbal noun. An alternative periphrastic conjugation of the future is in the form of conjugated future form of gwneud + subject + verbal noun. The verbal noun undergoes soft mutation (if possible). The table below shows the relevant colloquial conjugated forms of gwneud; ddaru (used in North Wales) is invariable.

Examples of the preterite with gwneud:

• Nes i agor y drws. ― I opened the door.
• Naeth hi brynu car newydd. ― She bought a new car.
• Naethon ni ddim teithio ar y bws. ― We did not travel by bus.
• Naethoch chi yfed y dŵr? ― Did you drink the water?

The preterite can also be formed using the invariable form ddaru:

• Ddaru mi agor y drws. ― I opened the door.
• Ddaru hi brynu car newydd. ― She bought a new car.
• Ddaru ni ddim teithio ar y bws. ― We didn't travel by bus.
• Ddaru chi yfed y dŵr? ― Did you drink the water?

The preterite can also be formed inflectionally:

• Agores i’r drws. ― I opened the door.
• Prynodd hi gar newydd. ― She bought a new car.
• Theithion ni ddim ar y bws. ― We did not travel by bus.
• Yfoch chi'r dŵr? ― Did you drink the water?

Examples of the future with gwneud:

• Na i agor y drws. ― I’ll open the door.
• Neith hi brynu car newydd. ― She’ll buy a new car.
• Nawn ni ddim teithio ar y bws. ― We won’t travel by bus.
• Newch chi yfed y dŵr? ― Will you drink the water?

All forms of cael, both periphrastic and inflectional, can be used to form a construction with passive meaning. The construction is form of cael + subject + possessive determiner agreeing with subject + verbal noun. The relevant inflected forms of cael are:

Examples:

• Gaeth Terry ei tharo gan bêl eira. ― Terry got hit by a snowball (literally, Terry got her hitting by a snowball).
• Mae’r tŷ yn cael ei godi. ― The house is being built (literally, The house is getting its building).

The negative imperative (or prohibitive) forms are built as follows: imperative of peidio + â/ag (optional) + verbal noun. The form â is used before a consonant (which undergoes aspirate mutation if possible); ag is used before a vowel.

• Paid â mynd yn rhy bell. ― Don’t go too far.
• Peidiwch â cholli’r arian ’na. ― Don’t lose that money.

• Colloquial Welsh morphology
• Literary Welsh morphology
• Welsh syntax