Negation and Questions in Welsh

Overview

Learning to form negative sentences and questions is fundamental at the A1 level, as these patterns allow you to express disagreement, ask for information, and have real conversations. In Welsh, negation and question formation are closely linked to the verb "bod" (to be), since most everyday Welsh sentences are built around this verb.

Welsh uses different verb forms for affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences rather than simply adding "not" or inverting word order as English does. The negative particle "ddim" plays a central role, but the verb form itself also changes. Questions are formed by using special interrogative forms of the verb.

The system is very regular once you learn the patterns, and because you already know the affirmative forms of "bod," learning the negative and question forms is largely a matter of learning the corresponding forms.

How It Works

Negative Sentences with "Bod"

Person	Affirmative	Negative
I	Dw i'n...	Dw i ddim yn...
You (informal)	Wyt ti'n...	Dwyt ti ddim yn...
He	Mae e'n...	Dyw e ddim yn...
She	Mae hi'n...	Dyw hi ddim yn...
We	Dyn ni'n...	Dyn ni ddim yn...
You (formal)	Dych chi'n...	Dych chi ddim yn...
They	Maen nhw'n...	Dyn nhw ddim yn...

Question Forms with "Bod"

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

Yes/No Answers

Welsh has no single word for "yes" or "no." Instead, you echo the verb:

Question	Yes	No
Wyt ti'n dod?	Ydw	Nac ydw
Ydy e'n gweithio?	Ydy	Nac ydy
Dych chi'n deall?	Ydw/Ydyn	Nac ydw/Nac ydyn

Examples in Context

Welsh	English	Note
Dw i ddim yn deall.	I don't understand.	Negative first person
Wyt ti'n barod?	Are you ready?	Informal question
Ydy e'n gweithio heddiw?	Is he working today?	Third person question
Dyw hi ddim yn dod.	She is not coming.	Third person negative
Dyn ni ddim yn siŵr.	We are not sure.	Plural negative
Ydyn nhw'n byw yma?	Do they live here?	Plural question
Nac ydy, dyw e ddim yma.	No, he is not here.	Negative answer
Ydw, dw i'n hapus.	Yes, I am happy.	Affirmative answer
Dych chi ddim yn cofio?	Don't you remember?	Negative question
Dwyt ti ddim yn gwrando!	You are not listening!	Informal negative

Common Mistakes

Using "na" or "ie" for yes/no

• Wrong: Na, dw i ddim yn dod.
• Right: Nac ydw, dw i ddim yn dod.
• Why: Welsh echoes the verb form for yes and no. "Na" on its own is not a complete answer.

Keeping "mae" in negatives

• Wrong: Mae e ddim yn dod.
• Right: Dyw e ddim yn dod.
• Why: The third person negative uses "dyw" (or "dydy"), not "mae." The verb form changes.

Placing "ddim" incorrectly

• Wrong: Dw i yn ddim deall.
• Right: Dw i ddim yn deall.
• Why: "Ddim" comes immediately after the pronoun, before "yn" and the verb-noun or adjective.

Practice Tips

1. Transform drills: Take ten affirmative sentences and convert each one to negative and question form. This builds the three-way pattern into your memory.

2. Practice yes/no answers: Have a friend ask you questions and respond with the correct echoed verb form. This is essential for natural conversation.

3. Listen to dialogues: Welsh conversation naturally alternates between statements, questions, and negatives. Listening to podcasts like "Pigion" (BBC Radio Cymru) exposes you to all three patterns in context.

Related Concepts

• Bod - Present Tense
• Question Words