Passive Voice in Welsh

In Brief

Welsh commonly forms the passive with a form of cael (“get/receive”), a possessive form, and a verb-noun: Cafodd y llyfr ei ysgrifennu means “The book was written.” The possessive refers back to the person or thing affected and controls mutation: Ces i fy ngweld “I was seen,” Cafodd e ei dalu “He was paid,” and Cafodd hi ei thalu “She was paid.”

Overview

The passive voice presents the person or thing affected by an action as the subject—the main person or thing the sentence is about. In “The doctor saw me,” the doctor is the agent (the doer), and “me” is affected. In the passive “I was seen by the doctor,” the affected person becomes the subject, while the agent can be added or left out.

English normally builds a passive with “be” plus a past participle: “was seen,” “is made,” “will be opened.” Welsh does not simply copy that pattern. A very common Welsh construction uses cael, followed by a possessive form such as fy, ei, or eu and a verb-noun (berfenw, the basic action word found in the dictionary). Literally, Ces i fy ngweld is structured rather like “I got my seeing,” but its natural meaning is “I was seen.”

This is a B2 topic because several systems meet in one sentence: forms of cael, possessives, initial mutation, and verb-nouns. The key is to learn the construction as a complete frame rather than translating each English word separately. Welsh also has impersonal verb forms and often prefers an active sentence, so a good learner needs to recognise when the cael passive is useful and when another structure sounds better.

How It Works

The core construction

For a completed event in the past, the most useful frame is:

past form of cael + affected subject + matching possessive + verb-noun + optional agent

• Cafodd y llyfr ei ysgrifennu. — The book was written.
• Ces i fy ngweld gan y meddyg. — I was seen by the doctor.
• Cafodd y plant eu gwahodd. — The children were invited.

The word order needs attention. With the short past form cafodd, the verb comes first and the affected subject follows it. With a long tense made with bod “be,” the subject normally comes before yn cael:

• Mae y drws yn cael ei baentio. — The door is being painted.
• Bydd y gwaith yn cael ei wneud. — The work will be done.

The possessive cannot normally be removed. It links the affected subject to the action, and it often changes the first consonant of the verb-noun.

Matching the possessive to the affected subject

The passive uses the same forms and mutation patterns that appear with possessives and object pronouns.

Affected subject	Form before the verb-noun	Mutation	Example
I	fy	nasal	Ces i fy ngweld (i). — I was seen.
you, familiar singular	dy	soft	Cest ti dy weld (di). — You were seen.
he / masculine singular noun	ei	soft	Cafodd e ei weld (e). — He was seen.
she / feminine singular noun	ei	aspirate	Cafodd hi ei gweld (hi). — She was seen.
we	ein	none	Cawson ni ein gweld (ni). — We were seen.
you, plural or polite	eich	none	Cawsoch chi eich gweld (chi). — You were seen.
they / plural noun	eu	none	Cafodd y plant eu gweld. — The children were seen.

The final pronouns in parentheses are echo pronouns—pronouns repeated after the verb-noun to reinforce who is meant. They are common when the affected subject is a personal pronoun, especially in speech: Ces i fy ngweld i. They can be omitted when the reference is already clear. With an ordinary noun such as y llyfr, no echo pronoun is needed.

English “it” does not prepare you for one important detail: a singular Welsh noun has grammatical gender. Use masculine ei with its soft mutation for a masculine noun, and feminine ei with its aspirate pattern for a feminine noun. The two forms are spelled alike, but their mutations differ.

Mutation is part of the passive

A mutation is a regular change at the beginning of a Welsh word. In this construction, the possessive determines the change; the tense does not.

Trigger	Useful changes	Passive examples
fy + nasal mutation	c → ngh, p → mh, t → nh, g → ng, b → m, d → n	fy nghanmol “my being praised”; fy nhalu “my being paid”
dy, masculine ei + soft mutation	c → g, p → b, t → d, g → ∅, b → f, d → dd, m → f, ll → l, rh → r	dy dalu; ei wneud from gwneud
feminine ei + aspirate mutation	c → ch, p → ph, t → th	ei chanu from canu; ei thalu from talu
ein, eich, eu	no mutation	ein talu, eich canmol, eu gweld

The symbol ∅ means that the initial g disappears: gwneud → ei wneud and gweld → ei weld. Aspirate mutation affects only c, p, and t, so initial g remains unchanged in Cafodd hi ei gweld. Before a vowel, feminine ei may add h: Cafodd y bont ei hagor “The bridge was opened.”

Not every passive displays a visible mutation. In Cafodd e ei arestio, the vowel-initial arestio looks unchanged. You still need ei: the absence of a visible consonant change does not remove the grammatical pattern.

Forms of cael in the simple past

The short past is especially common for a completed passive event.

Person	Past form	Passive example
I	ces i	Ces i fy nhalu. — I was paid.
you, familiar singular	cest ti	Cest ti dy wahodd. — You were invited.
he / she / singular noun	cafodd e/hi; cafodd + noun	Cafodd hi ei dewis. — She was chosen.
we	cawson ni	Cawson ni ein rhybuddio. — We were warned.
you, plural or polite	cawsoch chi	Cawsoch chi eich hysbysu. — You were informed.
they / plural noun	cawson nhw; cafodd + plural noun	Cafodd y plant eu canmol. — The children were praised.

Notice the last row: a following noun phrase uses third-person cafodd even when that noun is plural, as in the concept example Cafodd y llyfr ei ysgrifennu. With an explicit plural pronoun, use cawson nhw.

Building other time frames

The main action remains a verb-noun. To change time or aspect (how an event unfolds or is viewed), change the frame around cael:

Meaning	Welsh frame	Example
is done / is being done	mae ... yn cael ...	Mae'r ffenestr yn cael ei glanhau.
was done, completed event	cafodd ...	Cafodd y ffenestr ei glanhau.
was being done / used to be done	roedd ... yn cael ...	Roedd y ffenestr yn cael ei glanhau bob wythnos.
has been done	mae ... wedi cael ...	Mae'r ffenestr wedi cael ei glanhau.
will be done	bydd ... yn cael ...	Bydd y ffenestr yn cael ei glanhau yfory.

Only the form of cael carries the relevant time distinction. Welsh does not create a separate past-participle form of glanhau or gwneud. The related topic Passive in Different Tenses gives these combinations a fuller treatment.

Naming the agent with gan

Add gan when the doer matters:

• Cafodd yr adroddiad ei ysgrifennu gan Mari. — The report was written by Mari.
• Ces i fy ngweld gan y meddyg. — I was seen by the doctor.

Do not add an agent merely because English allows one. Passive sentences often deliberately leave the doer unmentioned because the doer is unknown, obvious, or unimportant. When the agent is the main new information, an active Welsh sentence may be clearer.

From active to passive

Compare the roles rather than replacing words mechanically:

Active sentence	Cael passive	What changes
Ysgrifennodd Mari'r adroddiad. — Mari wrote the report.	Cafodd yr adroddiad ei ysgrifennu gan Mari. — The report was written by Mari.	The report becomes the affected subject.
Canmolodd yr athrawes y plant. — The teacher praised the children.	Cafodd y plant eu canmol gan yr athrawes. — The children were praised by the teacher.	Plural y plant requires eu.
Agorodd Siân y bont. — Siân opened the bridge.	Cafodd y bont ei hagor gan Siân. — The bridge was opened by Siân.	Feminine pont gives ei hagor.

The active direct object—the person or thing directly affected—becomes the subject of the passive. The old subject can reappear after gan, but it is optional.

Examples in Context

Welsh	English	Note
Cafodd y llyfr ei ysgrifennu mewn chwe mis.	The book was written in six months.	Masculine singular subject; completed event.
Ces i fy ngweld gan y meddyg y bore yma.	I was seen by the doctor this morning.	fy causes nasal mutation: gweld → ngweld.
Bydd y gwaith yn cael ei wneud erbyn dydd Gwener.	The work will be done by Friday.	Future frame with bydd ... yn cael.
Cafodd e ei dalu ar ddiwedd yr wythnos.	He was paid at the end of the week.	Masculine ei soft-mutates talu → dalu.
Cafodd hi ei thalu ar yr un diwrnod.	She was paid on the same day.	Feminine ei aspirate-mutates talu → thalu.
Cawson ni ein gwahodd i'r briodas.	We were invited to the wedding.	ein causes no mutation.
Cafodd y plant eu canmol am eu gwaith.	The children were praised for their work.	Plural subject takes eu.
Cafodd y gân ei chanu ar ddiwedd y cyngerdd.	The song was sung at the end of the concert.	Feminine cân causes canu → chanu.
Mae'r drws yn cael ei baentio ar hyn o bryd.	The door is being painted at the moment.	Ongoing present passive.
Roedd y tŷ'n cael ei adeiladu pan symudon ni yma.	The house was being built when we moved here.	Ongoing past passive.
Mae'r ceisiadau wedi cael eu gwirio.	The applications have been checked.	Perfect passive with a plural subject.
Cafodd y cais ei wrthod heb esboniad.	The application was refused without an explanation.	gwrthod → wrthod after masculine ei.
Cafodd y bont ei hagor gan y maer.	The bridge was opened by the mayor.	Feminine ei adds h before the vowel.
Cafodd e ei eni yng Nghaerdydd.	He was born in Cardiff.	Masculine ei: geni → eni.
Cafodd hi ei geni ym Mangor.	She was born in Bangor.	Feminine ei leaves initial g unchanged.

Common Mistakes

Copying “be + past participle” from English

• Wrong: Roedd y llyfr ysgrifennwyd.
• Right: Cafodd y llyfr ei ysgrifennu.
• Why: The common Welsh passive frame uses cael + possessive + verb-noun. Do not build it by translating English “was” and “written” separately.

Omitting the possessive

• Wrong: Cafodd y llyfr ysgrifennu.
• Right: Cafodd y llyfr ei ysgrifennu.
• Why: Ei links y llyfr to the action. The frame is not simply cael + verb-noun; that shorter sequence can have other meanings, including permission in suitable contexts.

Forgetting to match a plural subject

• Wrong: Cafodd y plant ei canmol.
• Right: Cafodd y plant eu canmol.
• Why: The affected subject is plural, so use eu, not singular ei. Eu does not mutate canmol.

Ignoring gender and mutation

• Wrong for “She was paid”: Cafodd hi ei dalu.
• Right: Cafodd hi ei thalu.
• Why: Feminine ei causes aspirate mutation, so talu becomes thalu. The corresponding masculine sentence is Cafodd e ei dalu.

Adding yn after a short form of cael

• Wrong: Cafodd y gwaith yn ei wneud.
• Right: Cafodd y gwaith ei wneud.
• Why: Cafodd is already a complete short past verb. Use yn cael only inside a long frame such as Mae'r gwaith yn cael ei wneud.

Naming the agent as if it were the subject

• Wrong: Cafodd y meddyg fy ngweld i for “I was seen by the doctor.”
• Right: Ces i fy ngweld gan y meddyg.
• Why: In the passive, the affected person controls the form of cael and the possessive. The doer follows gan.

Usage Notes

The cael passive is common in both speech and writing. It is especially useful when you want to keep attention on a particular affected person or thing: an applicant was accepted, a road was closed, someone was interviewed, or a job will be completed. It can describe neutral events; translating cael literally as English “get” may make the sentence sound more informal or more dramatic than the Welsh actually is.

Welsh does not need a passive whenever English uses one. If the doer is known and important, an active sentence is often direct and natural. Compare Cafodd y penderfyniad ei wneud gan y pwyllgor “The decision was made by the committee” with Gwnaeth y pwyllgor y penderfyniad “The committee made the decision.” Choose according to what you want to foreground, not according to a fixed English template.

Forms of spoken Welsh vary by region. You may hear northern pronouns o/fo where another course uses southern e/fe, and spoken forms of cael can vary too. The passive architecture remains stable: the affected subject, a form of cael, the matching possessive, and the verb-noun.

The English simple passive can be ambiguous between an event and a state. Mae'r drws yn cael ei gau presents the action “The door is being closed.” If you only mean the resulting state “The door is closed,” Welsh may instead use an adjective or another stative expression, depending on the context. Do not assume that every English “is + participle” describes a passive event.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

The impersonal alternative

Welsh also has impersonal forms—verb forms that report an action without naming a personal subject. They often translate naturally as English passives:

• Cyhoeddwyd y canlyniadau ddoe. — The results were announced yesterday.
• Siaradir Cymraeg yma. — Welsh is spoken here.
• Dywedir bod y ffordd ar gau. — It is said that the road is closed.

These forms are particularly compact and frequent in formal, official, academic, and news writing, though they are not confined to those settings. The cael passive usually gives a fuller picture of a specific affected subject: Cafodd y canlyniadau eu cyhoeddi ddoe. The impersonal form packages the event more tightly: Cyhoeddwyd y canlyniadau ddoe. Learn to recognise both rather than treating one as the only “real” passive.

Pronouns, nouns, and information focus

With a pronoun, an echo can make the reference clearer: Cafodd hi ei chyfweld hi “She was interviewed.” With a named noun phrase, repeating a pronoun is usually unnecessary: Cafodd Siân ei chyfweld. In polished writing, avoid piling up words that do not add clarity.

Agent phrases with personal pronouns use forms of gan, for example ganddo fe “by him” and ganddi hi “by her.” These are conjugated prepositions: the preposition changes form according to the person. If you need them, learn each form as a unit rather than placing an ordinary pronoun directly after gan.

Lexicalised passive expressions

Some expressions are best learned whole. Birth is the clearest example:

• Cafodd e ei eni... — He was born...
• Cafodd hi ei geni... — She was born...

This pair is also an excellent mutation test. Masculine ei causes soft mutation and removes the initial g of geni; feminine ei uses the aspirate pattern, which does not affect g. Such fixed, high-frequency examples are often more useful than memorising mutation charts in isolation.

Practice Tips

1. Build person pairs with one verb. Say or write Ces i fy nhalu, Cest ti dy dalu, Cafodd e ei dalu, Cafodd hi ei thalu, Cawson ni ein talu, and Cafodd y plant eu talu. This makes the link between person, possessive, and mutation automatic.
2. Convert short active sentences. Start with Ysgrifennodd Mari'r llythyr. Move the affected item into the passive frame—Cafodd y llythyr ei ysgrifennu—then add gan Mari only if the agent matters.
3. Mark the three moving parts while reading. Underline the form of cael, circle fy/ei/eu, and identify the dictionary form behind the mutation. For ei wneud, recover gwneud; for ei chanu, recover canu.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Inflected Verb Forms — helps you recognise short forms such as cafodd, ces, and cawson.
• Useful foundation: Object Pronouns — uses the same possessive-plus-verb-noun pattern and mutation system.
• Useful foundation: Cael: Multiple Uses — distinguishes passive cael from receiving, permission, and ability.
• Next step: Passive in Different Tenses — develops present, past ongoing, perfect, future, and other passive time frames.
• Contrast: Impersonal Forms — provides a compact alternative often translated with an English passive.