i + Subject + Verb-Noun

For Someone to Do: I + Subject + Verb-Noun

Level 4

For "for someone to do something", Welsh says i + the person + the verb-noun, and the verb-noun softens: Mae'n amser i ni fynd — It's time for us to go.

How It Works

Where you meet it

  • After mae'n + an adjective: Mae'n bwysig i ti ddod. (It's important for you to come.) Mae'n anodd i blant bach ddeall. (It's hard for small children to understand.)
  • After a noun: Mae'n amser i ni fynd. (It's time for us to go.) Mae'n hen bryd iddyn nhw drwsio'r ffordd. (It's high time they mended the road.)
  • After asking and wanting: Gofynnodd hi i fi aros. (She asked me to wait.) Dw i eisiau i ti ddod. (I want you to come.)
  • With rhaid, angen and gwell: Mae rhaid i fi fynd, Mae angen i ni brynu llaeth, Mae'n well i ti ofyn.
  • After linking words: ar ôl i, cyn i, nes i, er mwyn i, rhag ofn i.

Two soft mutations. I softens a common noun after it (i blant), and the verb-noun after the subject softens too (ddeall). Words starting with a vowel, or with letters that never soften such as s, stay the same: i'r glaw stopio.

Pronoun forms. See Forms of I.

Formal past that-clauses. Writing also uses this pattern for a finished past event after verbs like dweud and credu: Dw i'n credu iddo fe adael (I think he left). Speech usually says bod e wedi gadael.

Examples (6)

  1. Mae'n bwysig i ti ddod i'r cyfarfod.

    It's important for you to come to the meeting.

  2. Mae'n amser i ni fynd adref.

    It's time for us to go home.

  3. Gofynnodd hi i fi aros.

    She asked me to wait.

  4. Dw i eisiau i ti ddarllen hwn.

    I want you to read this.

  5. Mae'n anodd i blant bach ddeall hynny.

    It's hard for small children to understand that.

  6. Arhoson ni i'r glaw stopio.

    We waited for the rain to stop.

    Stopio begins with s, which never mutates.

Common Mistakes

  • Not softening the verb-noun.

    Mae'n bwysig i ti dod.
    Mae'n bwysig i ti ddod.

    The verb-noun after the subject takes soft mutation: dod becomes ddod.

  • Copying English word order.

    Dw i eisiau ti i ddod.
    Dw i eisiau i ti ddod.

    Welsh puts i before the person: i ti, then the verb-noun.

How It Connects

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

i + Subject + Verb-NounLevel 4For Someone to Do: I + Subject + Verb-Noun

Learn This First

I + subject + verb-noun is a clause with its own subject.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern