arna i / arnat ti / arno fe
Forms of Ar and Feelings
Many feelings sit on you in Welsh: Mae ofn arna i (I'm afraid), literally "there's fear on me".
How It Works
The forms.
- arna i — on me
- arnat ti — on you
- arno fe (South), arno fo (North) — on him, on it
- arni hi — on her, on it
- arnon ni — on us
- arnoch chi — on you
- arnyn nhw — on them
Feelings and conditions.
- Mae ofn arna i. — I'm afraid.
- Mae syched arno fe. — He's thirsty. (North: arno fo)
- Mae annwyd arni hi. — She has a cold.
- Mae hiraeth arna i. — I'm homesick; I'm longing for home.
- Mae brys arnon ni. — We're in a hurry.
- Beth sy'n bod arnat ti? — What's wrong with you?
Two word orders. Mae ofn arna i and Mae arna i ofn are both correct. The phrase can also be a polite I'm afraid: Mae'r siop ar gau, mae ofn arna i (The shop is closed, I'm afraid).
Other ways to say it. Northern speech often uses gan instead: Mae gen i ofn. Southern speech also says Mae ofn gyda fi or Dw i ofn. All are correct.
Other uses of ar. The same forms follow verbs that take ar, such as edrych ar (look at) and gwrando ar (listen to): Gwranda arna i! (Listen to me!). See verbs with fixed prepositions and prepositions with personal forms.
Examples (6)
- Mae ofn arna i.
I'm afraid.
Word by Word: Is fear on me.
- Mae syched arno fe.
He's thirsty.
In the North: Mae syched arno fo.
- Mae annwyd arni hi.
She has a cold.
- Mae hiraeth arna i am Gymru.
I miss Wales.
Hiraeth is a deep longing; am (for) softens Cymru to Gymru.
- Mae brys arnon ni.
We're in a hurry.
- Beth sy'n bod arnat ti?
What's wrong with you?
Common Mistakes
Treating a feeling noun like an adjective.
Dw i'n syched.Mae syched arna i.Syched is a noun (thirst), so it sits on you with ar. You can also use the adjective: Dw i'n sychedig.
Using plain ar before a pronoun.
Mae ofn ar fi.Mae ofn arna i.Before a pronoun, ar takes its personal form.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Ar's personal forms express feelings with existential mae.
Related Patterns
- am, ar, at, dan, dros, drwy, gan, heb, i, o, wrth + Soft MutationSoft Mutation After Prepositions
Plain ar softens a following noun.
Level 2 - Mae gen i (North)Having in the North: Mae Gen I
The Northern gan pattern: Mae gen i ofn.
Level 1 - Mae ... gyda fi (South)Having in the South: Mae ... Gyda Fi
The Southern gyda pattern: Mae ofn gyda fi.
Level 1 - Verbs With Fixed Prepositions
Edrych ar and gwrando ar use the same forms.
Level 3 - arnaf / gennyfLiterary Personal Prepositions (Recognition)
The literary forms arnaf, arnat, arno.
Level 6
Words in This Pattern
Practice arna i / arnat ti / arno fe in Bubblegum
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