heb + Verb-Noun

Haven't Done: Heb + Verb-Noun

Level 4

Dw i heb fwyta is literally "I am without eating": I haven't eaten. It is a very common alternative to Dw i ddim wedi bwyta.

How It Works

1. "Haven't done"

  • Dw i heb fwyta. = Dw i ddim wedi bwyta. — I haven't eaten.
  • Mae'r trên heb gyrraedd eto. — The train hasn't arrived yet.
  • Roedd Siân heb glywed y newyddion. — Siân hadn't heard the news.
  • Wyt ti heb orffen eto? — Haven't you finished yet?

Compare the positive bod + wedi and roeddwn i wedi.

2. "Without doing"

  • Aeth hi allan heb ddweud gair. — She went out without saying a word.
  • Paid â gadael heb ffarwelio! — Don't leave without saying goodbye!

With a pronoun object, put a possessive before the verb-noun (Dw i'n ei weld e): Dw i heb ei gweld hi. — I haven't seen her. llythyr heb ei agor — an unopened letter.

Heb also goes with nouns: te heb siwgr (tea without sugar). See prepositions that soften.

Examples (6)

  1. Dw i heb fwyta heddiw.

    I haven't eaten today.

    Heb softens bwyta to fwyta.

  2. Mae'r trên heb gyrraedd eto.

    The train hasn't arrived yet.

  3. Wyt ti heb orffen eto?

    Haven't you finished yet?

  4. Aeth hi allan heb ddweud gair.

    She went out without saying a word.

  5. Dw i heb ei gweld hi ers wythnosau.

    I haven't seen her for weeks.

  6. Mae llythyr heb ei agor ar y bwrdd.

    There's an unopened letter on the table.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding ddim as well as heb.

    Dw i ddim heb fwyta.
    Dw i heb fwyta.

    Heb is already negative. Use either heb or ddim wedi, not both.

  • Forgetting the soft mutation.

    Dw i heb bwyta.
    Dw i heb fwyta.

    Heb causes soft mutation, so bwyta becomes fwyta.

How It Connects

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

heb + Verb-NounLevel 4Haven't Done: Heb + Verb-Noun

Learn This First

Heb + a softened verb-noun can replace ddim wedi.

Words in This Pattern

heb