ei 'his' + Soft Mutation

His: Ei + Soft Mutation

Level 2

ei + soft-mutated noun + e (South) or o (North) = his: car → ei gar e / ei gar o.

How It Works

Soft mutation after ei (his)

  • tad → ei dad e his father
  • car → ei gar e his car
  • pen → ei ben e his head
  • brawd → ei frawd e his brother
  • mam → ei fam e his mother
  • drws → ei ddrws e his door
  • gwaith → ei waith e his work
  • llyfr → ei lyfr e his book

A vowel stays the same and takes no h: ei enw e (his name).

North and South. The echo is e in the South and o in the North: ei fam e / ei fam o. Both are correct. See Personal Pronouns.

Its. For a masculine thing or animal, ei means its: Mae'r ci wedi bwyta ei fwyd (The dog has eaten its food).

His or hers?

  • ei gath e his cat / ei chath hi her cat
  • ei dad e his father / ei thad hi her father
  • ei enw e his name / ei henw hi her name

See Her: Ei + Aspirate Mutation.

Sound and short form. In everyday speech ei sounds like the i in machine. After a vowel it is often written 'i: a'i gar e (and his car). See Short Possessives After Vowels.

Examples (6)

  1. Mae ei gar e'n goch.

    His car is red.

    South echo e. car → gar.

  2. Ble mae ei fam o'n byw?

    Where does his mother live?

    North echo o. mam → fam.

  3. Dyma ei dad e.

    This is his father.

    South: e. In the North: Dyma ei dad o.

  4. Beth ydy ei enw o?

    What's his name?

    No change and no h before a vowel for his.

  5. Mae ei frawd e yn yr un dosbarth â fi.

    His brother is in the same class as me.

    brawd → frawd. South: e. In the North: Mae ei frawd o yn yr un dosbarth â fi.

  6. Mae'r ci wedi bwyta ei fwyd.

    The dog has eaten its food.

    Ei means its for a masculine noun; the echo is optional.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the soft mutation.

    ei car e
    ei gar e

    Ei meaning his causes soft mutation: c becomes g.

  • Adding h before a vowel for his.

    ei henw e
    ei enw e

    An h before a vowel belongs to her: ei henw hi means her name. For his, the vowel stays as it is.

How It Connects

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

ei 'his' + Soft MutationLevel 2His: Ei + Soft Mutation

Learn This First

Ei 'his' triggers soft mutation and is echoed by e or o.

Words in This Pattern