Emphasis by Fronting

Level 4

English stresses a word with the voice ("Siân saw the film"). Welsh moves that word to the front: Siân welodd y ffilm.

How It Works

1. Fronted subject

  • Siân sy'n iawn. — Siân's the one who's right. (use sy, not mae)
  • Siân welodd y ffilm. — It was Siân who saw the film. (gwelodd → welodd)
  • Fi wnaeth y gacen. — It was me who made the cake.
  • Nhw fydd yn ennill. — They're the ones who'll win. (bydd → fydd)

This works just like a relative clause: see sy and a + soft mutation.

2. Fronted object

  • Coffi dw i eisiau, nid te. — It's coffee I want, not tea.
  • With a verb-noun, a possessive points back to the object: Ei chwaer mae hi'n ei cholli fwyaf. — It's her sister she misses most.

3. Fronted place, time or description

  • Ym Mangor mae hi'n gweithio. — She works in Bangor.
  • Yfory dw i'n mynd, nid heddiw. — I'm going tomorrow, not today.
  • Athro dw i. — I'm a teacher. See Athro dw i.

Questions and answers. A question that starts with the emphasised part, often after ai, is answered ie or nage (ia / naci in the North): Ai Siân welodd y ffilm? Ie. See Ie and Nage. To deny the fronted part, use nid: Nid fi wnaeth e.

Inside a longer sentence, a fronted clause is joined with mai or taw: Dw i'n credu mai Siân sy'n iawn.

Examples (6)

  1. Siân sy'n iawn.

    Siân's the one who's right.

  2. Fi wnaeth y gacen.

    It was me who made the cake.

  3. Coffi dw i eisiau, nid te.

    It's coffee I want, not tea.

  4. Ym Mangor mae hi'n gweithio, nid yng Nghaernarfon.

    It's in Bangor that she works, not in Caernarfon.

  5. Pwy welodd y ddamwain? Tom welodd hi.

    Who saw the accident? Tom saw it.

    The answer fronts Tom, so gwelodd softens to welodd.

  6. Nhw fydd yn ennill.

    They're the ones who'll win.

Common Mistakes

  • Using mae after a fronted subject.

    Siân mae'n iawn.
    Siân sy'n iawn.

    When the subject comes first, the present of bod is sy.

  • Not softening the verb after a fronted subject.

    Siân gwelodd y ffilm.
    Siân welodd y ffilm.

    A verb after a fronted subject takes soft mutation, as in a relative clause.

How It Connects

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Emphasis by FrontingLevel 4

Learn This First

Fronted focus puts a noun first and uses relative forms after it.

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Words in This Pattern