Demonstratives in Welsh

Overview

Demonstratives allow you to point things out and specify which item you mean — "this book" versus "that book." At the A1 level, learning Welsh demonstratives introduces you to another area where gender plays a role, as the standalone demonstrative pronouns have masculine and feminine forms.

Welsh has two main strategies for demonstratives: standalone pronouns (hwn/hon, hwnna/honna) and the noun phrase pattern using "y...yma" (this) and "y...yna" (that). The standalone pronouns are used when pointing at something without naming it, while the noun phrase pattern is used when you specify the object.

How It Works

Standalone Demonstrative Pronouns

	This	That
Masculine	hwn	hwnna / hwnnw
Feminine	hon	honna / honno
Abstract	hyn (this)	hynny (that)

Demonstratives with Nouns

Meaning	Pattern	Example
this [noun]	y + noun + yma	y llyfr yma (this book)
that [noun]	y + noun + yna	y tŷ yna (that house)

Key Points

1. The article "y/yr/'r" is required before the noun in demonstrative phrases.
2. Normal mutation rules apply (feminine singular nouns mutate after the article).
3. "Hyn" and "hynny" refer to abstract ideas or situations, not specific objects.

Examples in Context

Welsh	English	Note
Beth ydy hwn?	What is this? (m)	Pointing at masculine object
Dw i'n hoffi hon.	I like this one. (f)	Feminine object
Y llyfr yma.	This book.	With noun
Y tŷ yna.	That house.	With noun
Beth ydy hyn?	What is this?	Abstract
Dw i ddim yn deall hynny.	I don't understand that.	Abstract
Y gath yma.	This cat.	Feminine with mutation
Hwnna ydy fy un i.	That one is mine. (m)	Masculine demonstrative
Mae hon yn well.	This one is better. (f)	Feminine demonstrative
Y bobl yna.	Those people.	Plural demonstrative

Common Mistakes

Using wrong gender demonstrative

• Wrong: Beth ydy hwn? (pointing at feminine object)
• Right: Beth ydy hon?
• Why: Standalone demonstratives must match the gender of the object. Use "hwn" for masculine, "hon" for feminine.

Forgetting the article in noun phrases

• Wrong: llyfr yma
• Right: y llyfr yma
• Why: Demonstrative noun phrases require the definite article before the noun.

Confusing "hyn" with "hwn/hon"

• Wrong: Beth ydy hyn? (when pointing at a specific object)
• Right: Beth ydy hwn? or Beth ydy hon? (for a specific object)
• Why: "Hyn" refers to abstract things or situations, not concrete objects.

Practice Tips

1. Point and name: Look around your room and point to objects saying "Beth ydy hwn?" or "Beth ydy hon?" depending on the gender.

2. Compare items: Practice "y llyfr yma" vs "y llyfr yna" to distinguish this and that.

3. Use "hyn" and "hynny" for ideas: When discussing opinions or situations, practice using the abstract forms.

Related Concepts

• Gender of Nouns