gwybod / nabod

Knowing: Gwybod and Nabod

Level 2

Welsh has two verbs for "know": gwybod for facts and nabod for people and places.

How It Works

Gwybod — knowing facts.

  • Dw i'n gwybod ble mae e — I know where he is
  • Wyt ti'n gwybod faint o'r gloch ydy hi? — Do you know what time it is?
  • Dw i'n gwybod bod hi'n brysur — I know (that) she's busy; see bod + that-clause

Nabod — knowing people and places. Nabod is the everyday spoken form of adnabod. In modern speech, adnabod itself often means "recognise".

  • Dw i'n nabod Siân — I know Siân
  • Wyt ti'n nabod Caerdydd? — Do you know Cardiff?

Short forms of gwybod. Gwybod has its own short present forms, which you will hear all the time:

  • Wn i ddim — I don't know (also Dwn i ddim in the North)
  • Wyddoch chi...? / Wyddost ti...? — Do you know...?

The long forms are just as correct: Dw i ddim yn gwybod. The South also says Sa i'n gwybod; see sa i and smo fi.

Examples (6)

  1. Dw i'n gwybod ble mae e.

    I know where he is.

    A fact: gwybod.

  2. Dw i'n nabod Siân yn dda.

    I know Siân well.

    A person: nabod.

  3. Wyt ti'n nabod Caerdydd?

    Do you know Cardiff?

    A place: nabod.

  4. Wn i ddim.

    I don't know.

    The short form of gwybod.

  5. Dwn i ddim, wir.

    I really don't know.

    North.

  6. Wyddoch chi ble mae'r orsaf?

    Do you know where the station is?

    A polite short question form of gwybod.

Common Mistakes

  • Using gwybod for a person.

    Dw i'n gwybod Siân.
    Dw i'n nabod Siân.

    Gwybod is only for facts. For people and places, use nabod.

How It Connects

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

gwybod / nabodLevel 2Knowing: Gwybod and Nabod

Learn This First

Gwybod and nabod are verb-nouns used with bod + yn.

Words in This Pattern

adnabodnabod