Mae gen i (North)

Having in the North: Mae Gen I

Level 1

In North Wales, "I have" is usually Mae gen i, literally "there is with me": Mae gen i gar (I have a car).

How It Works

The forms:

  • Mae gen i ... — I have
  • Mae gen ti ... — you have
  • Mae gynno fo ... — he has
  • Mae gynni hi ... — she has
  • Mae gynnon ni ... — we have
  • Mae gynnoch chi ... — you have
  • Mae gynnyn nhw ... — they have

In standard writing some of these are spelled differently: ganddo (he), ganddi (she) and ganddyn (they).

Soft mutation of the thing owned. The noun after gen i and the other forms softens: car → Mae gen i gar, tŷ → Mae gynnon ni dŷ, gwallt → Mae gynni hi wallt hir. See soft mutation.

With a name or noun as the owner, use gan: Mae gan Siân gi (Siân has a dog).

Not just objects. Use it for family, ideas and illnesses too: Mae gen i syniad (I have an idea), Mae gen i annwyd (I have a cold).

For questions and negatives, see possession questions; casual Northern speech also shortens does gen i ddim to sgen i ddim (see sgen i). The Southern pattern is Mae ... gyda fi.

Examples (6)

  1. Mae gen i gar coch.

    I have a red car.

    Word by Word: Is with me car red.

    Car softens to gar.

  2. Mae gynno fo gath.

    He has a cat.

    Cath softens to gath.

  3. Mae gynni hi wallt hir.

    She has long hair.

    Gwallt loses its g: wallt.

  4. Mae gynnon ni dŷ mawr.

    We have a big house.

    Tŷ softens to dŷ.

  5. Mae gen i syniad!

    I have an idea!

    S never changes, so syniad stays the same.

  6. Mae gan Siân gi bach.

    Siân has a little dog.

    With a name as the owner, use gan. Ci softens to gi.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to soften the thing owned.

    Mae gen i car.
    Mae gen i gar.

    In this pattern the noun after gen i (or gynno fo, gynni hi and so on) takes soft mutation.

How It Connects

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

Mae gen i (North)Level 1Having in the North: Mae Gen I

Learn This First

Northern possession is existential mae + a soft-mutated noun + gen i.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

gingynnogynnigynnongynnochgynnyn