gallwn i

Could: Gallwn I

Level 3

Gallwn i means "I could". Use it for possibilities and polite requests: Allwn i gael paned? (Could I have a cuppa?), Allech chi helpu? (Could you help?).

How It Works

The forms:

  • gallwn i — I could
  • gallet ti — you could
  • gallai fe / hi — he / she could
  • gallen ni — we could
  • gallech chi — you could
  • gallen nhw — they could

North: medrwn i, medret ti, medrai fo, medren ni, medrech chi, medren nhw.

Soft mutation after it: Gallwn i fynd (mynd), Gallwn i fod yn anghywir (I could be wrong), Gallen nhw ddod (dod).

Questions and negatives. Questions soften: Allwn i...?, Allech chi...?, Fedrech chi...? (North). Negatives: Allwn i ddim (I couldn't). Answers: Gallwn / Na allwn (I could / couldn't), Gallai / Na allai. Many speakers also soften the positive statement: Allwn i fynd fory.

Two kinds of "could". For past ability (was able to), use bod + gallu: Ro'n i'n gallu nofio (I could swim, when I was young); see gallu and medru. Gallwn i is for what is possible or polite now: Gallwn i nofio yfory.

Careful: gallwn ni. Gallwn ni is the present (we can); "we could" is gallen ni. See galla i and medra i. For "could have", see dylwn i fod wedi.

Examples (6)

  1. Allwn i gael paned?

    Could I have a cuppa?

    Gallwn softens to allwn in the question; cael softens to gael.

  2. Gallet ti ofyn i Siân.

    You could ask Siân.

    Gofyn softens to ofyn.

  3. Gallen nhw ddod yfory.

    They could come tomorrow.

    Dod softens to ddod.

  4. Allech chi siarad yn arafach, os gwelwch yn dda?

    Could you speak more slowly, please?

    A polite request.

  5. Allwn i ddim credu'r peth.

    I couldn't believe it.

    Negative with ddim.

  6. Medrwn i fynd fory.

    I could go tomorrow.

    North: medrwn i. Fory is the everyday form of yfory.

Common Mistakes

  • Using gallwn ni for "we could" (when you mean "we could go").

    Gallwn ni fynd.
    Gallen ni fynd.

    Gallwn ni means "we can". The conditional "we could" is gallen ni.

  • Using the past for a polite request (when you mean "Could you help?" now).

    Oeddech chi'n gallu helpu?
    Allech chi helpu?

    Oeddech chi'n gallu asks whether someone was able to in the past. For a polite request now, use Allech chi...?

How It Connects

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

gallwn iLevel 3Could: Gallwn I

Learn This First

Gallwn i is the conditional of gallu.

Words in This Pattern

gallumedru