Echo Pronouns After Possessives
Welsh often wraps the noun between two words for the owner: fy nhŷ i (my house), eu plant nhw (their children).
How It Works
The full set
- fy ... i: fy nhŷ i my house
- dy ... di: dy gi di your dog (ti)
- ei ... e (South) or o (North): ei gar e / ei gar o his car
- ei ... hi: ei chath hi her cat
- ein ... ni: ein tŷ ni our house
- eich ... chi: eich car chi your car (chi)
- eu ... nhw: eu plant nhw their children
Each possessive has its own mutation; see fy, dy, ei (his), ei (her) and ein, eich, eu.
Where it goes. The echo comes after the noun and any describing words: fy nghar newydd i (my new car).
Why use it? In speech ei, eu and ein can sound very alike, so the echo makes the owner clear. It also carries the stress when you compare owners: Dy gar di neu fy nghar i? (Your car or my car?)
Leaving it out. Formal writing often drops the echo: fy nhad, ei gar. Both are correct; the echo simply sounds more natural in conversation.
A noun as owner. When the owner is a noun, there is no possessive word and no echo: car Siân (Siân's car). See Of: Noun + Noun.
Examples (6)
- Dyma fy nhŷ i.
This is my house.
- Beth ydy enw dy gi di?
What's your dog's name?
- Mae fy nghar newydd i'n goch.
My new car is red.
The echo i comes after the adjective newydd.
- Ydy eich plant chi'n siarad Cymraeg?
Do your children speak Welsh?
- Dy gar di neu fy nghar i?
Your car or my car?
The echo carries the stress when comparing owners.
- Mae eu tŷ nhw'n fawr.
Their house is big.
Common Mistakes
Using an echo that doesn't match.
ei chath eei chath hiChath (aspirate mutation) means her cat, so the echo must be hi. For his cat, say ei gath e.
Putting the echo before a describing word.
fy nghar i newyddfy nghar newydd iThe echo goes at the end of the noun phrase, after the adjective.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The echo pronoun after a possessed noun generalises across all the possessives.
- fy + Nasal MutationMy: Fy + Nasal Mutation
Fy nhŷ i uses the fy possessive.
Level 2 - ei 'her' + Aspirate MutationHer: Ei + Aspirate Mutation
Ei chath hi and ei gar e use the two meanings of ei.
Level 2 - ein / eich / euOur, Your, Their: Ein, Eich, Eu
Ein tŷ ni, eich car chi and eu plant nhw use the plural possessives.
Level 2
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
- hunan / hunMyself: Hunan (South) and Hun (North)Level 3
- Dw i'n ei weld eObject Pronouns: Dw I'n Ei Weld ELevel 3
- o fy mlaen i: Compound PrepositionsIn Front of Me: O Fy Mlaen ILevel 4
- Short Possessives 'm / 'i / 'n / 'wShort Possessives After VowelsLevel 4
- Relative y + PrepositionRelatives with Prepositions: Y ... YnddoLevel 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice Echo Pronouns After Possessives in Bubblegum
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