mae angen

Need: Mae Angen

Level 2

Angen means "need". Mae angen bara means "Bread is needed", or simply "We need bread".

How It Works

1. Mae angen + thing. The thing that is needed follows angen and keeps its first letter: Mae angen bara (We need bread), Mae angen help (Help is needed). Literally it means "there is a need of bread".

2. Mae angen + verb-noun. Mae angen gwneud mwy (More needs to be done). The verb-noun does not change here either.

3. Mae angen i + person + soft mutation. This works just like mae rhaid i. Use the personal forms of i (see forms of i), and soften the verb-noun that follows the person:

  • Mae angen i fi fynd — I need to go (mynd → fynd)
  • Mae angen i ti orffwys — you need to rest (gorffwys → orffwys)
  • Mae angen i Siân weld meddyg — Siân needs to see a doctor (gweld → weld)

Questions, negatives and other tenses. Ask with Oes angen...? and answer Oes (yes) or Nac oes (no). Say there is no need with Does dim angen: Does dim angen i ti boeni (There's no need for you to worry). See oes and does dim. For the past and future, change mae: Roedd angen (was needed), Bydd angen (will be needed).

In everyday speech: Dw i angen. Many speakers use angen like eisiau: Dw i angen help, Maen nhw angen gwyliau (They need a holiday). Just like eisiau, it takes no yn. In more formal Welsh you will also meet Mae arna i angen... (literally "there is a need on me"), which uses the forms of ar in arna i arnat ti arno fe.

Examples (6)

  1. Mae angen bara a llaeth.

    We need bread and milk.

    Word by Word: Is need bread and milk.

    Literally "there is a need of bread and milk". Bara keeps its b.

  2. Mae angen i ni brynu llaeth.

    We need to buy milk.

    Prynu softens to brynu after i ni.

  3. Mae angen i ti orffwys.

    You need to rest.

    Gorffwys loses its g after i ti.

  4. Oes angen i fi ddod? Nac oes.

    Do I need to come? No.

    Questions use oes; dod softens to ddod.

  5. Does dim angen i chi boeni.

    There's no need for you to worry.

    Poeni softens to boeni.

  6. Dw i angen help gyda'r gwaith cartref.

    I need help with the homework.

    Everyday speech: angen used like eisiau, with no yn.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting yn before angen.

    Dw i'n angen help.
    Dw i angen help.

    Angen is a noun, like eisiau, so it follows dw i directly with no yn. See eisiau and isio.

  • Forgetting to soften the verb-noun after i + person.

    Mae angen i ni prynu llaeth.
    Mae angen i ni brynu llaeth.

    After the person (i ni, i fi, iddo fe and so on) the verb-noun takes soft mutation: prynu → brynu.

How It Connects

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

mae angenLevel 2Need: Mae Angen

Learn This First

Mae angen i + person follows the model of mae rhaid i.

Words in This Pattern

angen