The Future Tense of *Bod* in Welsh

In Brief

Welsh forms the everyday future with a future form of bod (“to be”) followed by yn and a verb-noun: Bydda i'n gweithio yfory means “I will work tomorrow.” The main forms are bydda i, byddi di, bydd e/hi, byddwn ni, byddwch chi, byddan nhw. In questions and negatives, initial b normally undergoes soft mutation to f: Fydd hi'n dod? and Fydd hi ddim yn dod.

Overview

The future of bod is one of the central verb patterns introduced at B1. It does two jobs. As an ordinary verb, it describes a future state or location: Bydd y siop ar agor (“The shop will be open”) and Byddwn ni yng Nghaerdydd (“We will be in Cardiff”). As an auxiliary verb (a helping verb used to build a larger verb phrase), it combines with yn + verb-noun to express a future action: Byddwn ni'n teithio (“We will travel”). A verb-noun is the basic dictionary form of a Welsh verb, such as mynd “go,” darllen “read,” or gweithio “work.”

This structure may initially look like English “will be doing,” but its range is wider. Bydda i'n darllen y llyfr can mean “I will read the book” or “I will be reading the book,” depending on context. Welsh does not require a separate form for the ordinary simple future and the future continuous in the way English does.

You already know the same framework from the present tense: Dw i'n gweithio (“I work / I am working”). To move the whole phrase into the future, replace the present form of bod with a future form: Bydda i'n gweithio (“I will work / I will be working”).

How It Works

The spoken future forms

The following paradigm (a full set of forms arranged by person) is widely used in everyday Welsh:

Person	Future of bod	Basic meaning
I	bydda i	I will be
you, singular and familiar	byddi di	you will be
he / it	bydd e / bydd o	he/it will be
she / it	bydd hi	she/it will be
we	byddwn ni	we will be
you, plural or polite	byddwch chi	you will be
they	byddan nhw	they will be

Both e and o/fo can mean “he,” with the choice often reflecting southern and northern usage. The core future pattern is the same. Chi serves both plural “you” and polite or formal singular “you,” so context tells you which is intended.

Future actions: bod + yn + verb-noun

For most everyday future actions, use this pattern:

future form of bod + subject pronoun + yn + verb-noun

When yn follows a vowel, it is normally written as 'n: i'n, e'n, hi'n, ni'n, chi'n, nhw'n.

Welsh pattern	English	Note
Bydda i'n coginio.	I will cook.	bydda i + yn + coginio
Bydd e'n ffonio.	He will phone.	e'n is the contracted form
Byddwn ni'n aros.	We will stay.	The ending -wn marks “we”

Do not add an English-style equivalent of “will” before another conjugated Welsh verb. The future meaning is already carried by the form of bod.

Future states, identities and locations

With an adjective or a noun used as a description, yn links that description to the subject:

• Bydd y bwyd yn barod. — “The food will be ready.”
• Bydd hi'n feddyg da. — “She will be a good doctor.”

Here yn before a noun or adjective normally causes soft mutation where a visible mutation is possible: meddyg becomes feddyg. With a verb-noun, however, ordinary verbal yn does not generally trigger that mutation: yn mynd, yn gweithio, yn darllen.

A location does not take the linking yn merely because English uses “be”:

• Byddan nhw yno. — “They will be there.”
• Bydd y plant gartref. — “The children will be at home.”

If the location itself begins with the preposition yn “in,” keep it as part of the location phrase: Bydd y cyfarfod yn y swyddfa (“The meeting will be in the office”).

Questions

A neutral yes-or-no question normally begins with a soft-mutated future form. The initial b of bydd- changes to f:

Welsh	English	Function
Bydd hi'n braf.	It will be fine.	Statement
Fydd hi'n braf?	Will it be fine?	Question
Byddi di'n dod.	You will come.	Statement
Fyddi di'n dod?	Will you come?	Question
Byddan nhw yno.	They will be there.	Statement
Fyddan nhw yno?	Will they be there?	Question

Question words also commonly introduce the mutated form:

• Pryd fyddi di'n cyrraedd? — “When will you arrive?”
• Ble fyddwch chi'n aros? — “Where will you stay?”
• Pwy fydd yn arwain y cyfarfod? — “Who will lead the meeting?”

A natural short answer repeats the appropriate form of bod rather than using a separate word for “yes” or “no.” For example, answer Fydd hi'n dod? with Bydd or Na fydd; answer Fyddwch chi'n dod? with Byddwn or Na fyddwn if you mean “we will / won’t.” The person of the answer follows whoever is replying, not necessarily the person used in the question.

Negatives

In ordinary spoken Welsh, place ddim after the subject. As in questions, the initial b normally becomes f:

mutated future form + subject + ddim + rest of phrase

• Fydda i ddim yn hwyr. — “I won’t be late.”
• Fydd e ddim yn gweithio yfory. — “He won’t work tomorrow.”
• Fyddan nhw ddim yno. — “They won’t be there.”

Notice what happens to yn. It remains before a verb-noun or an adjective: ddim yn gweithio, ddim yn barod. There is no linking yn before a bare location such as yno, so the result is simply ddim yno.

Future time clauses and open conditions

Welsh often uses a future form after pan “when” when the event is still in the future. This differs from English, which normally uses a present form after “when”:

• Pan fydda i'n barod, bydda i'n ffonio. — “When I am ready, I will phone.”
• Pan fydd y trên yn cyrraedd, byddwn ni'n gadael. — “When the train arrives, we will leave.”

Future bydd is also common after os “if” in an open condition—one that may realistically happen:

• Os bydd hi'n braf, byddwn ni'n cerdded. — “If it is fine, we will walk.”
• Os na fyddi di'n barod, bydd rhaid i ni fynd. — “If you are not ready, we will have to go.”

After os, the negative pattern is os na fydd..., not os fydd... ddim. Present forms are also possible when the condition is general or already framed as present: Os wyt ti'n flinedig, gorffwysa (“If you are tired, rest”).

Examples in Context

Welsh	English	Note
Bydda i'n mynd yfory.	I will go tomorrow.	First-person future action
Byddi di'n hoffi'r lle yma.	You will like this place.	Familiar singular “you”
Bydd e'n gweithio gartref ddydd Gwener.	He will work from home on Friday.	Southern e
Bydd hi'n brysur drwy'r bore.	She will be busy all morning.	Future state
Byddwn ni'n cwrdd tu allan i'r orsaf.	We will meet outside the station.	Planned action
Byddwch chi'n cael neges cyn bo hir.	You will receive a message soon.	Polite or plural “you”
Byddan nhw yno erbyn wyth.	They will be there by eight.	Location without linking yn
Fydd hi'n braf yfory?	Will it be fine tomorrow?	Weather question
Pryd fydd y dosbarth yn dechrau?	When will the class start?	Question word + mutated form
Fydda i ddim yn gallu dod heno.	I won’t be able to come tonight.	ddim before yn gallu
Fyddan nhw ddim yno dros y penwythnos.	They won’t be there over the weekend.	Negative location
Pan fyddwch chi'n barod, gallwn ni ddechrau.	When you are ready, we can begin.	Future time clause
Os bydd hi'n bwrw glaw, byddwn ni'n aros adref.	If it rains, we will stay at home.	Open future condition
Erbyn dydd Llun, bydda i wedi gorffen.	By Monday, I will have finished.	Future perfect

Common Mistakes

Using a present form for every future event

• Wrong: Dw i'n mynd yfory when you specifically want a neutral prediction or promise.
• Right: Bydda i'n mynd yfory.
• Why: A present form can describe a firm arrangement, much like English “I’m going tomorrow,” but the future of bod is the safer neutral choice for “I will go.” The two forms are not interchangeable in every context.

Forgetting the mutation in a question

• Wrong: Bydd hi'n braf?
• Right: Fydd hi'n braf?
• Why: In the ordinary spoken question pattern, b changes to f. A statement keeps bydd; a question normally begins fydd.

Putting ddim after the main verb

• Wrong: Fydda i'n mynd ddim.
• Right: Fydda i ddim yn mynd.
• Why: Ddim follows the subject and comes before yn + verb-noun.

Dropping yn before an action

• Wrong: Byddwn ni teithio yfory.
• Right: Byddwn ni'n teithio yfory.
• Why: A future form of bod needs verbal yn before a verb-noun. After ni, yn contracts to 'n.

Copying English tense choice after “when”

• Wrong: Pan dw i'n barod, bydda i'n ffonio for a clearly future “when I am ready.”
• Right: Pan fydda i'n barod, bydda i'n ffonio.
• Why: English uses the present after future “when,” but Welsh commonly marks the future in the pan clause too.

Treating mynd i and bydd as identical

• Less suitable for a neutral prediction: Dw i'n mynd i fod yn enwog ryw ddydd in every context.
• Neutral prediction: Bydda i'n enwog ryw ddydd.
• Why: Mynd i + verb-noun often presents an intention or something already expected from present circumstances. Bydd + yn + verb-noun readily expresses a promise, prediction, or straightforward future fact. Real usage overlaps, so learn the contrast rather than replacing one mechanically with the other.

Usage Notes

Everyday Welsh varies by region and speaker. You may hear bydd e in much of the south and bydd o in the north. Affirmative particles are also common: Mi fydda i'n dod or Fe fydda i'n dod (“I will come”). Mi/fe causes the soft mutation seen in fydda, but it does not make the sentence a question or a negative; the particle itself marks it as affirmative.

The pronouns are normally useful in spoken forms: bydda i, byddi di, byddwn ni. In careful writing, you will also meet more compact forms, and the exact balance between spoken and formal patterns depends on the text. Do not assume that every form beginning fydd- is interrogative: it may follow mi/fe, a question word, pan, or another construction that licenses the mutation.

For plans, Welsh offers several natural choices. Bydda i'n coginio heno is a neutral “I’ll cook tonight” and can also sound like a promise. Dw i'n mynd i goginio heno highlights an intention: “I’m going to cook tonight.” Dw i'n coginio heno can describe a settled arrangement: “I’m cooking tonight.” Context and speaker intention matter more than a one-to-one tense label.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Formal written forms

Formal Welsh has forms such as byddaf, byddi, bydd, byddwn, byddwch, byddant, often with subject pronouns omitted when the ending is clear. Formal questions may include a, and formal negatives commonly use ni:

Welsh	English	Register
Byddaf yn ymateb yfory.	I will reply tomorrow.	Formal written Welsh
A fyddwch yn bresennol?	Will you be present?	Formal question
Ni fyddant yn cymryd rhan.	They will not take part.	Formal negative

These are worth recognising in notices, formal correspondence and edited prose. For ordinary conversation, begin with the spoken paradigm taught above.

Future perfect

To say that something will already be complete by a future point, use a future form of bod + wedi + verb-noun:

• Bydda i wedi gorffen erbyn pump. — “I will have finished by five.”
• Bydd hi wedi gadael cyn hynny. — “She will have left before then.”

Here wedi replaces verbal yn. Do not say bydda i'n wedi gorffen.

Habit and probability

Forms of bydd do not always refer to one future event. In suitable contexts, especially in writing, they can describe what regularly happens: Bydd e'n cerdded i'r gwaith bob dydd can mean “He walks to work every day.” Time expressions such as bob dydd make the habitual reading clear.

A future form can also express a present assumption or probability. Bydd hi gartref erbyn hyn may mean “She will be home by now,” in the sense “I expect she is home by now.” English uses “will” similarly, but the meaning comes from inference, not literal future time.

Finally, bydd is essential in later grammar. It appears in open conditional clauses, future passives such as Bydd y gwaith yn cael ei wneud (“The work will be done”), and the future perfect. Mastering its basic statement, question and negative patterns makes all of these much easier.

Practice Tips

1. Transform one sentence three ways. Start with Byddi di'n gweithio yfory. Turn it into Fyddi di'n gweithio yfory? and then Fyddi di ddim yn gweithio yfory. This fixes both mutation and the position of ddim.
2. Build a six-person chain. Choose one verb-noun, such as teithio, and say the whole sequence aloud: bydda i'n teithio, byddi di'n teithio, through to byddan nhw'n teithio. Change the verb each day.
3. Compare real future meanings. Write one prediction with bydd, one intention with mynd i, and one fixed arrangement in the present. For example: Bydd hi'n braf, Dw i'n mynd i gerdded, Dw i'n cwrdd â Siân am chwech.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Bod — Present Tense — review the basic bod + yn + verb-noun structure before moving it into the future.
• Next step: Conditional Mood — learn the related forms used for “would be” and “would do.”
• Next step: Basic Conditional Sentences — use os bydd... to build open future conditions.
• Next step: Making Plans and Arrangements — compare the future with mynd i, present arrangements and suggestions.