rydw i / rydyn ni / rydych chi
Fuller Present Forms: Rydw I
Rydw i, rydyn ni and rydych chi are the fuller forms of dw i, dyn ni and dych chi. You will meet them in writing, on the news and in formal speech.
How It Works
Statements:
- rydw i — I am (spoken: dw i; in the South also rwy)
- rwyt ti — you are
- mae e / o / hi — he / she is
- rydyn ni — we are (spoken: dyn ni, North dan ni)
- rydych chi — you are (spoken: dych chi, North dach chi)
- maen nhw — they are
Negatives: dydw i ddim, dwyt ti ddim, dydy e ddim (dyw e ddim), dydy hi ddim, dydyn ni ddim, dydych chi ddim, dydyn nhw ddim.
Questions: ydw i?, wyt ti?, ydy e?, ydy hi?, ydyn ni?, ydych chi?, ydyn nhw? The answers are the same as in speech: Ydw, Ydyn, Nac ydw. See ydw nac ydw.
Where you meet them. Textbooks, signs, letters, the news and formal talks often use the fuller forms. Everyday conversation mostly uses the short ones from bod present tense. In Southern speech you will also hear Rwy'n for I am: Rwy'n dod o Gaerfyrddin. None of these is a mistake; see spoken and written Welsh.
Older literary Welsh has forms like yr wyf and yr ydym; see literary bod yr wyf y mae yr ydym.
Examples (6)
- Rydw i'n dysgu Cymraeg.
I'm learning Welsh.
Spoken: Dw i'n dysgu Cymraeg.
- Rydyn ni'n byw yn Abertawe.
We live in Swansea.
Spoken: Dyn ni (North: Dan ni).
- Rydych chi'n siarad Cymraeg yn dda.
You speak Welsh well.
Spoken: Dych chi (North: Dach chi).
- Dydw i ddim yn hoffi coffi.
I don't like coffee.
Spoken: Dw i ddim.
- Ydych chi'n barod?
Are you ready?
Spoken: Dych chi'n barod?
- Rwy'n dod o Gaerfyrddin.
I come from Carmarthen.
Southern speech: rwy'n.
Common Mistakes
Starting a negative with rydw.
Rydw i ddim yn hoffi coffi.Dydw i ddim yn hoffi coffi.In the fuller forms, the negative starts with d-: dydw i ddim, dydyn ni ddim, dydych chi ddim.
Using rydyn with nhw.
Rydyn nhw'n dod.Maen nhw'n dod.The statement form for they is maen nhw. Rydyn goes only with ni.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The fuller forms are standard variants of the present, question and negative of bod.
Related Patterns
- Present of bodPresent Tense of Bod
The short spoken forms: dw i, dyn ni, dych chi.
Level 1 - Ydw / Nac ydwYes and No in the Present: Ydw and Nac Ydw
Answering yes and no.
Level 1 - Spoken and Written Welsh
Why Welsh has fuller and shorter forms.
Level 5 - Literary bod: yr wyf, y maeLiterary Forms of Bod (Recognition)
The older literary forms.
Level 6
Words in This Pattern
Practice rydw i / rydyn ni / rydych chi in Bubblegum
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