rhaid bod

Must Be: Rhaid Bod

Level 4

Rhaid bod means "it must be that": you are guessing, but you feel sure. Rhaid bod e wedi anghofio — He must have forgotten.

How It Works

Two kinds of "must"

  • Duty: Rhaid i fi fynd. — I must go (I have to). Pattern: rhaid i + person + verb-noun.
  • Conclusion: Rhaid bod hi'n brysur. — She must be busy (I'm sure she is). Pattern: rhaid bod + clause.

"Must be"

  • Rhaid bod y bws yn hwyr. — The bus must be late.
  • Mae'n rhaid dy fod di wedi blino. — You must be tired.

"Must have": add wedi

  • Rhaid bod e wedi anghofio. — He must have forgotten.
  • Rhaid bod rhywun wedi gadael y drws ar agor. — Someone must have left the door open.

With or without mae'n. Rhaid bod and Mae'n rhaid bod mean the same; speech often drops mae'n. With a pronoun, careful Welsh uses the possessive forms (Mae'n rhaid ei bod hi'n brysur), and speech says Rhaid bod hi'n brysur.

A softer guess uses the future perfect, bydda i wedi: Bydd hi wedi anghofio (She'll have forgotten).

North and South. E and i fi are Southern; the North says o and i mi: Rhaid bod o wedi anghofio, Rhaid i mi fynd.

Examples (6)

  1. Rhaid bod e wedi anghofio.

    He must have forgotten.

    South: e. In the North: Rhaid bod o wedi anghofio.

  2. Mae'n rhaid ei bod hi'n brysur.

    She must be busy.

  3. Rhaid bod y bws yn hwyr.

    The bus must be late.

  4. Rhaid dy fod di wedi blino ar ôl y daith.

    You must be tired after the journey.

  5. Rhaid bod rhywun wedi gadael y drws ar agor.

    Someone must have left the door open.

  6. Mae'r golau ymlaen, felly rhaid bod nhw gartref.

    The light's on, so they must be home.

Common Mistakes

  • Using mae after rhaid.

    Rhaid mae hi'n brysur.
    Rhaid bod hi'n brysur.

    Rhaid is followed by a bod clause, not by mae.

  • Using the guessing pattern when you mean "I have to go".

    Rhaid bod fi'n mynd.
    Rhaid i fi fynd.

    Rhaid bod is for conclusions about what is true. For something you have to do, use rhaid i + person + a soft-mutated verb-noun. The North says Rhaid i mi fynd.

How It Connects

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

rhaid bodLevel 4Must Be: Rhaid Bod

Learn This First

Rhaid bod draws a conclusion with a bod clause.

Words in This Pattern

rhaid