Likes and Dislikes in Welsh

In Brief

Use a present form of bod (“to be”) + yn + hoffi or licio to say that someone likes something: Dw i'n hoffi coffi (“I like coffee”). Put ddim before yn for “do not like,” use caru and casáu for the stronger ideas “love” and “hate,” and use Mae'n well gen i... for “I prefer....”

Overview

Talking about tastes is one of the most useful A1 skills: it lets you discuss food, music, places, hobbies, and people from the beginning. Welsh normally builds these sentences with a form of bod (“to be”), followed by yn and a verb-noun (the basic dictionary form of a verb). Thus hoffi, licio, caru, and casáu do not change in an ordinary present-tense sentence; the form of bod shows who has the feeling.

This structure differs from English. English says “I like,” but the Welsh pattern is structurally closer to “I am liking,” even though its natural translation is usually the simple present “I like.” Welsh bod + yn + verb-noun can describe both something happening now and a general state or habit. Do not assume that Dw i'n hoffi must mean only “I am liking.”

The beginner rule is straightforward: learn the frame Dw i'n hoffi..., then replace the subject or preference word as needed. Later sections explain stronger wording, regional choices, comparisons, and common forms such as Hoffech chi...? (“Would you like...?”).

How It Works

The basic pattern

An affirmative sentence has three parts:

Part	Function	Example
a present form of bod + subject	identifies the person	Dw i — “I am”
yn	links bod to the verb-noun	'n after a vowel
preference verb + object or activity	states the preference	hoffi coffi — “like coffee”

Put together, this gives:

subject form of bod + yn + hoffi/licio/caru/casáu + object or activity

• Dw i'n hoffi pysgod. — I like fish.
• Mae hi'n licio jazz. — She likes jazz.
• Dyn ni'n caru cerddoriaeth. — We love music.
• Maen nhw'n casáu aros. — They hate waiting.

The apostrophe in i'n, ti'n, and similar combinations marks a contraction: 'n is a shortened form of yn. It is not part of hoffi.

Changing the person

The preference verb stays in the same form. Only bod and the pronoun change.

Person	Pattern with hoffi	Meaning
I	Dw i'n hoffi...	I like...
you, informal singular	Rwyt ti'n hoffi...	You like...
he	Mae e'n hoffi... / Mae o'n hoffi...	He likes...
she	Mae hi'n hoffi...	She likes...
we	Dyn ni'n hoffi...	We like...
you, plural or polite	Rydych chi'n hoffi...	You like...
they	Maen nhw'n hoffi...	They like...

E is common in southern speech and o in northern speech. Both mean “he.” You may also encounter fuller forms such as rydw i and rydyn ni, especially in more formal Welsh.

Statements, negatives, and questions

To say that someone does not like something, place ddim after the form of bod. Keep yn before the verb-noun:

• Dw i ddim yn hoffi coffi. — I do not like coffee.
• Dyw e ddim yn licio caws. — He does not like cheese.
• Dydyn ni ddim yn casáu'r lle. — We do not hate the place.

A question uses the question form of bod. Compare the statement Rwyt ti'n hoffi te (“You like tea”) with the question Wyt ti'n hoffi te? (“Do you like tea?”). In rapid speech, some forms may be shortened, but learning this contrast gives you a reliable starting point.

Person asked about	Question	Meaning
informal you	Wyt ti'n hoffi te?	Do you like tea?
he	Ydy e'n licio caws?	Does he like cheese?
she	Ydy hi'n caru'r ddinas?	Does she love the city?
polite/plural you	Dych chi'n hoffi cerdded?	Do you like walking?
they	Ydyn nhw'n hoffi'r ffilm?	Do they like the film?

Useful short answers repeat the appropriate form of bod:

• Wyt ti'n hoffi te? — Ydw. — Do you like tea? — Yes.
• Wyt ti'n hoffi coffi? — Nac ydw. — Do you like coffee? — No.
• Ydy hi'n licio'r gân? — Ydy. — Does she like the song? — Yes.
• Ydyn nhw'n hoffi pysgod? — Nac ydyn. — Do they like fish? — No.

Things and activities after the preference verb

A noun (a word naming a thing, person, or place) can follow directly:

• hoffi siocled — to like chocolate
• caru Cymru — to love Wales
• casáu'r tywydd oer — to hate the cold weather

An activity is expressed with another verb-noun, also placed directly after the preference verb:

• Dw i'n hoffi darllen. — I like reading.
• Mae hi'n licio coginio. — She likes cooking.
• Maen nhw'n casáu codi'n gynnar. — They hate getting up early.

English can use either “reading” or “to read” after “like.” Welsh does not add a separate equivalent of English “to” here: use hoffi darllen, not hoffi i ddarllen for this simple meaning.

Choosing the strength of the feeling

Welsh	Core meaning	Typical force
hoffi	to like	neutral and widely useful
licio	to like	common in informal spoken Welsh
ddim yn hoffi/licio	not to like	ordinary, moderate dislike
caru	to love	strong affection or enthusiasm
casáu	to hate	strong dislike

A negative of hoffi is not as strong as casáu. Compare Dw i ddim yn hoffi coffi (“I don't like coffee”) with Dw i'n casáu coffi (“I hate coffee”). As in English, caru can refer to people, places, activities, or things, but it expresses more feeling than hoffi.

Saying “I prefer”: mae'n well gen i

Welsh often expresses preference with Mae'n well gen i..., literally something like “It is better with me....” Here well is the comparative form of da (“good”), and gen i is a form of the preposition gan used with “me.” Learn the whole phrase as a unit at first.

• Mae'n well gen i de. — I prefer tea.
• Mae'n well gen i gerdded. — I prefer walking.
• Mae'n well gen i de na choffi. — I prefer tea to coffee.

To compare two choices, use na (“than”) before the second one. Before p, t, or c, na causes the aspirate mutation (a change at the beginning of the next word): coffi becomes choffi in te na choffi.

The form of gan changes with the person:

Person	Preference pattern	Meaning
I	Mae'n well gen i...	I prefer...
you, informal	Mae'n well gen ti...	You prefer...
he	Mae'n well ganddo fe/fo...	He prefers...
she	Mae'n well ganddi hi...	She prefers...
we	Mae'n well gynnon ni...	We prefer...
you, plural/polite	Mae'n well gynnoch chi...	You prefer...
they	Mae'n well ganddyn nhw...	They prefer...

You will meet regional and more formal variants of some of these forms. For A1, Mae'n well gen i... is the essential expression to make automatic.

Examples in Context

Welsh	English	Note
Dw i'n hoffi pysgod.	I like fish.	Basic hoffi pattern
Dyw e ddim yn licio caws.	He doesn't like cheese.	Negative with ddim yn
Wyt ti'n hoffi'r gân yma?	Do you like this song?	Informal singular question
Mae hi'n licio coginio i'w ffrindiau.	She likes cooking for her friends.	An activity after licio
Dyn ni'n hoffi mynd am dro ar ôl swper.	We like going for a walk after supper.	mynd follows hoffi directly
Dych chi'n hoffi cerddoriaeth Gymraeg?	Do you like Welsh-language music?	Polite or plural “you”
Dw i'n caru Cymru.	I love Wales.	Strong affection
Dw i'n dy garu di.	I love you.	Object-pronoun pattern
Mae'r plant yn casáu codi'n gynnar.	The children hate getting up early.	Strong dislike of an activity
Dw i ddim yn casáu coffi; mae'n well gen i de.	I don't hate coffee; I prefer tea.	Contrasts dislike and preference
Mae'n well gen i de na choffi.	I prefer tea to coffee.	c → ch after na
Mae'n well ganddi hi ddarllen na gwylio'r teledu.	She prefers reading to watching television.	Third-person preference
Beth sy'n well gen ti, y môr neu'r mynyddoedd?	Which do you prefer, the sea or the mountains?	Asking someone to choose
Hoffech chi baned o de?	Would you like a cup of tea?	Polite offer

Common Mistakes

Leaving out bod and yn

• Wrong: Fi hoffi coffi.
• Right: Dw i'n hoffi coffi.
• Why: The ordinary present-tense pattern needs a form of bod plus yn. Welsh does not simply put a pronoun before hoffi as English does with “I like.”

Dropping yn in a negative

• Wrong: Dw i ddim hoffi pysgod.
• Right: Dw i ddim yn hoffi pysgod.
• Why: Ddim makes the clause negative, but yn still links bod to the verb-noun.

Conjugating hoffi like an English present-tense verb

• Wrong: Mae hi'n hoffis siocled.
• Right: Mae hi'n hoffi siocled.
• Why: The verb-noun hoffi stays unchanged. The form mae hi already identifies the subject.

Adding an unnecessary equivalent of “to”

• Wrong: Dw i'n hoffi i nofio.
• Right: Dw i'n hoffi nofio.
• Why: When one activity follows hoffi, the second verb-noun normally follows directly: hoffi nofio (“like swimming/to swim”).

Using casáu for every mild dislike

• Less natural for a mild preference: Dw i'n casáu'r crys glas.
• Better: Dw i ddim yn hoffi'r crys glas.
• Why: Casáu means “hate” and is deliberately strong. Use ddim yn hoffi when you simply do not like something.

Translating “prefer” word for word with hoffi

• Unclear: Dw i'n hoffi te na choffi.
• Right: Mae'n well gen i de na choffi.
• Why: The fixed Welsh preference construction is mae'n well gen i. Use na to introduce the less-preferred alternative.

Usage Notes

Hoffi is a safe, neutral choice across contexts. Licio, historically related to English “like,” is firmly established and very common in conversational Welsh. Individual speakers and regions differ in how often they choose one or the other, so listen to the Welsh used around you rather than treating either word as the only correct option.

Welsh has substantial regional variation. Alongside mae e and ganddo fe in the south, you commonly hear mae o and ganddo fo in the north. Forms built with gan also vary between speech and formal writing. Mixing a northern pronoun into an otherwise southern sentence will usually remain understandable, but consistently following one course or local model makes learning easier.

For a softer, more tactful response, Dw i ddim yn hoff iawn o... means “I'm not very fond of....” The positive pattern bod + yn hoff o also means “to be fond of”: Mae hi'n hoff iawn o goffi (“She is very fond of coffee”). Notice the required o in this adjective-based pattern. It is different from the verb-noun construction Mae hi'n hoffi coffi, which has no o.

Keep the accent in the standard spelling casáu. It shows that the stress falls on the final syllable and distinguishes the written form clearly, even though informal digital writing sometimes omits accents.

Beyond the Basics

You do not need to master the following patterns at A1, but they are frequent enough to recognise early.

“Would like” in offers and requests

Welsh often uses inflected conditional forms of hoffi—forms with endings that carry tense and person—without bod + yn:

Welsh	Natural English use
Hoffwn i...	I would like...
Hoffet ti...?	Would you like...? (informal singular)
Hoffai hi...	She would like...
Hoffech chi...?	Would you like...? (polite or plural)

Hoffech chi baned? is a natural polite offer, while Hoffwn i archebu means “I would like to order.” These are not exceptions to the beginner present-tense frame; they belong to a later tense, but the forms are useful as ready-made phrases.

Pronoun objects

With a simple noun, the object follows directly: Dw i'n caru Cymru. Personal pronoun objects use a specifically Welsh pattern involving a possessive form before the verb-noun and often a reinforcing pronoun after it:

• Dw i'n dy garu di. — I love you.
• Mae hi'n ei garu fe. — She loves him.

This construction also causes mutations and belongs with Welsh object pronouns. Learn common phrases as chunks now, then study the complete system separately.

Emphasis and alternatives

To emphasise the degree of liking, speakers can use yn fawr (“greatly”) or the adjective construction yn hoff iawn o (“very fond of”):

• Dw i'n hoffi'r albwm yn fawr. — I like the album a lot.
• Dw i'n hoff iawn o'r albwm. — I am very fond of the album.

Preference can also be phrased explicitly with dewis (“choose”) in contexts about a decision, but Mae'n well gen i... remains the basic way to compare tastes rather than announce a practical choice.

Practice Tips

1. Build one sentence through four stages. Start with Dw i'n hoffi te, make it negative (Dw i ddim yn hoffi te), turn it into a question (Wyt ti'n hoffi te?), and then compare (Mae'n well gen i de na choffi). This practises the frame rather than isolated words.
2. Sort real preferences by strength. Write three things you hoffi, one thing you caru, one thing you ddim yn hoffi, and one thing you casáu. Using true opinions makes the difference in strength easier to remember.
3. Listen for the whole opening chunk. In Welsh audio, notice dw i'n, mae hi'n, dyw e ddim yn, and mae'n well gen i. Shadow the complete phrase aloud; do not train hoffi on its own as though it were an English-style conjugated verb.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Bod — Present Tense — supplies the person forms used before yn hoffi, yn licio, yn caru, and yn casáu.
• Next step: Object Pronouns — explains patterns such as Dw i'n dy garu di.
• Next step: Expressing Opinions — extends simple preferences into reasons, agreement, and personal viewpoints.