cystal / cymaint / cynddrwg

As Good as: Cystal, Cymaint, Cynddrwg

Level 5

To say as good as, Welsh uses one word: cystal â. Dyw'r ffilm ddim cystal â'r llyfr means The film isn't as good as the book. Cymaint (as much, as big) and cynddrwg (as bad) work the same way.

How It Works

The three one-word forms.

  • cystal — as good (from da): cystal â = as good as
  • cymaint — as big, as much, as many (from mawr): cymaint â = as much as
  • cynddrwg — as bad (from drwg): cynddrwg â = as bad as

For most other adjectives, use mor ... â: mor dal â (as tall as). In exclamations, speech also says mor dda! (so good!), but for "as good as" use cystal â. Cyn lleied â (as little as) belongs to the same small family.

After bod. Like mor, these words come straight after the subject, with no yn: Dyw e ddim cystal â'i frawd (He isn't as good as his brother; Dydy o ddim in the North).

 and ag.  (as) becomes ag before a vowel and causes aspirate mutation: cystal â thi (as good as you), cymaint ag erioed (as much as ever). See Aspirate Mutation After Â.

Cymaint on its own. Cymaint also means so much or so many. It is then followed by o + soft mutation, like other quantity words: Mae cymaint o waith i'w wneud! (There's so much work to do!)

As soon as possible. Cyn gynted â phosib (written cyn gynted â phosibl) means as soon as possible. Here cyn means "as", not "before". It keeps an older pattern, explained in Literary Equatives.

Examples (6)

  1. Dyw'r ffilm ddim cystal â'r llyfr.

    The film isn't as good as the book.

    Dyw is the Southern and written form; the North says Dydy'r ffilm ddim.

  2. Does neb cystal â Mam am wneud cacen.

    Nobody is as good as Mum at making cakes.

  3. Doedd y tywydd ddim cynddrwg â'r disgwyl.

    The weather wasn't as bad as expected.

  4. Mae cymaint o waith i'w wneud!

    There's so much work to do!

    Cymaint o + soft mutation: gwaith becomes waith.

  5. Dw i ddim yn ennill cymaint â thi.

    I don't earn as much as you.

    Â causes aspirate mutation: ti becomes thi.

  6. Ffoniwch ni cyn gynted â phosib.

    Phone us as soon as possible.

Common Mistakes

  • Using na (than) instead of â (as).

    Dyw hi ddim cystal na'i chwaer.
    Dyw hi ddim cystal â'i chwaer.

    Na belongs with comparatives such as gwell na (better than). Cystal, cymaint and cynddrwg take â, "as".

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

cystal / cymaint / cynddrwgLevel 5As Good as: Cystal, Cymaint, Cynddrwg

Learn This First

Single-word equatives parallel mor ... â and the irregular comparatives.

Words in This Pattern

cystalcymaintcynddrwgâ