es i / des i / ces i / gwnes i
Irregular Past: Mynd, Dod, Cael, Gwneud
The four most useful verbs have their own past forms: es i (I went), des i (I came), ces i (I got, I had), gwnes i (I did, I made).
How It Works
mynd (go): es i, est ti, aeth e/o/hi, aethon ni, aethoch chi, aethon nhw
dod (come): des i, dest ti, daeth e/o/hi, daethon ni, daethoch chi, daethon nhw. In the North you will also hear dois i for I came, and daeth is often said ddoth.
cael (get, have): ces i, cest ti, cafodd e/o/hi, cawson ni, cawsoch chi, cawson nhw
gwneud (do, make): gwnes i, gwnest ti, gwnaeth e/o/hi, gwnaethon ni, gwnaethoch chi, gwnaethon nhw
Softened forms. As with other short verbs, speech often softens the first letter, because mi (North) or fe (South) is understood in front: ges i, wnes i, ddes i, ddaeth hi. The mynd forms begin with a vowel and never change: es i, aeth hi. See Mi (North) and Fe (South) Before Verbs.
Two i's. I went to is es i i: Es i i Gaerdydd. The first i means I, the second means to.
Noun subjects take the he/she form: Aeth y plant i'r ysgol (The children went to school).
Objects soften after these verbs too: Ges i baned (I had a cuppa). See Direct Objects After Short Verbs.
Questions and answers. Est ti? (Did you go?), Gest ti amser da? (Did you have a good time?), answered Do or Naddo; see Yes and No in the Past. Negatives such as Es i ddim and Ches i ddim are covered in Questions and Negatives of Short Verbs.
Gwneud is also a helper verb for the past: Wnes i weld. See Past With Gwneud.
Examples (6)
- Es i i Gaerdydd ddoe.
I went to Cardiff yesterday.
es i (I went) + i (to).
- Aeth hi adref yn gynnar.
She went home early.
- Daeth Siân i'r parti.
Siân came to the party.
- Ges i baned gyda Mam.
I had a cuppa with Mum.
Everyday speech: ces → ges. The object paned softens to baned. Gyda is Southern; the North says Ges i baned efo Mam.
- Cawson ni amser gwych yn Sbaen.
We had a great time in Spain.
- Gwnaethon ni gacen i'r plant.
We made a cake for the children.
The object cacen softens to gacen.
Common Mistakes
Giving mynd regular endings.
Mynais i i'r dref.Es i i'r dref.Mynd has its own past forms: es i, est ti, aeth, aethon ni, aethoch chi, aethon nhw.
Writing only one i in es i i.
Es i Gaerdydd.Es i i Gaerdydd.In fast speech the two i's often run together, but in writing keep both words: es i (I went) and i (to), which softens Caerdydd to Gaerdydd.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The first inflected past forms put a short verb first, after mynd and dod are already familiar in the present.
- mynd i / dod oGoing to and Coming from
Es i i Gaerdydd and Des i o Fangor put mynd and dod, already used with i and o and places, into the past; that row also brings bod + yn + verb-noun and soft mutation, which the softened forms ges i, wnes i, ddaeth e need.
Level 1 - Verb First: Welsh Word Order
Es i and Aeth hi put the inflected verb before the subject.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- -ais i / -aist ti / -oddThe Simple Past: Prynais I, Prynodd Hi
The regular simple past.
Level 2 - wnes i + Verb-NounPast with Gwneud: Wnes I + Verb-Noun
Gwneud as a helper for the past.
Level 2 - Do / NaddoYes and No in the Past: Do and Naddo
Yes and no to past questions.
Level 2 - Ces i fy ngeniSaying Where You Were Born
A set phrase with ces i: I was born.
Level 2 - Direct Objects After Short Verbs
Why ges i baned softens.
Level 2 - mi / fe + Soft MutationMi (North) and Fe (South) Before Verbs
Where the softened forms come from.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice es i / des i / ces i / gwnes i in Bubblegum
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