Ga i...?

May I? Ga I...?

Level 2

Ga i...? means "May I have...?" or "May I...?": Ga i baned? (Can I have a cuppa?), Ga i fynd? (May I go?).

How It Works

Asking for things: Ga i + noun. Ga i baned o de? (Could I have a cup of tea?), Ga i ddŵr? (Can I have some water?).

Asking permission: Ga i + verb-noun. Ga i fynd? (May I go?), Ga i ofyn cwestiwn? (May I ask a question?), Ga i fenthyg...? (May I borrow...?).

Soft mutation. Whatever comes straight after ga i softens: coffi → goffi, paned → baned, gofyn → ofyn. Words like 'r do not change: Ga i'r bil? See soft mutation of the direct object.

Answering. There is no single word for yes or no. Answer with cael, matched to the person you are talking to:

  • to ti: Cei (Yes, you may) / Na chei (No, you may not)
  • to chi: Cewch / Na chewch

Na causes aspirate mutation, so cei → chei. See ti and chi and echo answers in other tenses.

Asking for more people: Gawn ni...? (May we...?) is answered Cewch / Na chewch. In formal writing you will see the full form Gaf i...?. Ga i is the question form of the short future of cael; see af i do i ca i gwna i.

Examples (6)

  1. Ga i baned o de, plîs?

    Could I have a cup of tea, please?

    Paned softens to baned; te softens to de after o.

  2. Ga i fynd i'r tŷ bach?

    May I go to the toilet?

    Mynd softens to fynd.

  3. Ga i ofyn cwestiwn?

    May I ask a question?

    Gofyn loses its g.

  4. Ga i'r bil, os gwelwch yn dda?

    Could I have the bill, please?

    'r does not mutate.

  5. Ga i fenthyg dy feic di? Cei, wrth gwrs.

    Can I borrow your bike? Yes, of course.

    Benthyg softens to fenthyg. Cei answers someone you call ti.

  6. Gawn ni ddod i mewn? Na chewch, dim eto.

    May we come in? No, not yet.

    Gawn ni asks for "us"; na chewch answers "you (all)".

Common Mistakes

  • Answering with a present-tense yes.

    Ga i fynd? Ydw.
    Ga i fynd? Cei.

    Ydw means "I am", so it cannot answer Ga i. Use cael: Cei / Na chei to ti, Cewch / Na chewch to chi.

  • Forgetting the soft mutation.

    Ga i coffi?
    Ga i goffi?

    The word straight after ga i softens: coffi → goffi.

How It Connects

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

Ga i...?Level 2May I? Ga I...?

Learn This First

Ga i asks for something, with the object softened.

Words in This Pattern

cewch