Bod - Present Tense in Welsh

Overview

The verb "bod" (to be) in the present tense is the single most important verb form in Welsh. At the A1 level, this is your gateway to constructing almost any sentence, because Welsh uses "bod" as an auxiliary verb in the vast majority of everyday statements. Where English says "I read," Welsh says "I am reading" (Dw i'n darllen) — using "bod" plus a verb-noun.

The present tense of "bod" has distinct forms for each person, and these forms differ between affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences. The affirmative forms are the most common and should be your first priority.

There are regional variations between North and South Wales, but the forms taught here are widely understood throughout the Welsh-speaking world. Mastering "bod" in the present tense will unlock your ability to talk about what is happening now, describe states, express habits, and much more.

How It Works

Affirmative Forms

Person	Form	Example
I	Dw i	Dw i'n hapus. (I am happy.)
You (informal)	Wyt ti	Wyt ti'n dod? (Are you coming?)
He	Mae e/o	Mae e'n gweithio. (He is working.)
She	Mae hi	Mae hi'n braf. (It is fine.)
We	Dyn ni	Dyn ni'n mynd. (We are going.)
You (formal/plural)	Dych chi	Dych chi'n deall? (Do you understand?)
They	Maen nhw	Maen nhw'n byw yma. (They live here.)

The Linking Particle "yn"

After "bod," you use "yn" (contracted to "'n" after vowels) to link to:

• Adjectives: Dw i'n hapus (I am happy)
• Verb-nouns: Mae e'n darllen (He is reading)

Note: "Yn" causes soft mutation of adjectives but NOT of verb-nouns.

Negative Forms

Person	Form	Example
I	Dw i ddim	Dw i ddim yn deall.
He/She	Dyw e/hi ddim	Dyw e ddim yn dod.
We	Dyn ni ddim	Dyn ni ddim yn barod.
They	Dyn nhw ddim	Dyn nhw ddim yma.

Question Forms

Person	Form	Example
You (informal)	Wyt ti...?	Wyt ti'n barod?
He/She	Ydy e/hi...?	Ydy e'n gweithio?
You (formal)	Dych chi...?	Dych chi'n dod?
They	Ydyn nhw...?	Ydyn nhw yma?

Examples in Context

Welsh	English	Note
Dw i'n hapus.	I am happy.	State with adjective
Mae hi'n bwrw glaw.	It is raining.	Weather expression
Dych chi'n siarad Cymraeg?	Do you speak Welsh?	Habitual action
Maen nhw'n byw yng Nghaerdydd.	They live in Cardiff.	With nasal mutation
Dw i ddim yn deall.	I don't understand.	Negative
Ydy e'n gweithio heddiw?	Is he working today?	Question
Mae'r plant yn chwarae.	The children are playing.	With definite article
Wyt ti'n dod heno?	Are you coming tonight?	Informal question
Dyn ni'n mynd i'r dref.	We are going to town.	Movement
Dyw hi ddim yn oer.	It is not cold.	Negative weather

Common Mistakes

Using "mae" for first and second person

• Wrong: Mae fi'n hapus.
• Right: Dw i'n hapus.
• Why: Each person has its own form of "bod." "Mae" is only for third person (he, she, it, or nouns).

Forgetting "yn/'n" before adjectives and verb-nouns

• Wrong: Dw i hapus.
• Right: Dw i'n hapus.
• Why: The linking particle "yn" is required between "bod" and what follows. It contracts to "'n" after a vowel.

Mutating verb-nouns after "yn"

• Wrong: Mae e'n ddarllen. (mutating "darllen")
• Right: Mae e'n darllen.
• Why: "Yn" causes soft mutation of adjectives (da → dda) but does NOT mutate verb-nouns.

Using "mae" in questions

• Wrong: Mae e'n dod?
• Right: Ydy e'n dod?
• Why: Questions use special interrogative forms (Ydy, Wyt, Ydyn, etc.), not the affirmative "mae."

Practice Tips

1. Chant the paradigm: Say all seven forms aloud daily: "Dw i, wyt ti, mae e, mae hi, dyn ni, dych chi, maen nhw." Speed up gradually until it flows naturally.

2. Describe your day: Each morning, make five sentences about what you are doing using "bod" + verb-noun: "Dw i'n bwyta brecwast, dw i'n mynd i'r gwaith..."

3. Practice all three moods: For each sentence, make the affirmative, negative, and question forms. This drills the different patterns of "bod" simultaneously.

Related Concepts

• Personal Pronouns
• Negation and Questions
• Verb-Nouns
• Modal Verbs
• Likes and Dislikes
• Weather Expressions
• Bod - Imperfect Tense
• Past Tense with Gwneud
• Basic Relative Clauses
• Perfect and Recent Past
• Expressing Opinions
• Bod - Past Tense (Preterite)
• Bod - Future Tense
• Emphatic Sentences