nid ... ond

Denying the front word. In an emphatic sentence the important word comes first: Fi wnaeth e (It was me who did it). To deny it, put nid in front: Nid fi wnaeth e (It wasn't me who did it). The rest of the sentence stays the same.

Nid ... ond. Ond (but) then gives the correct item:

• nid coch ond glas — not red but blue
• Nid te dw i eisiau, ond coffi — It's not tea I want, but coffee
• Nid Siân sy'n canu ond ei chwaer — It isn't Siân who's singing but her sister

Not only ... but also. Nid yn unig ... ond hefyd means not only ... but also: nid yn unig dysgwyr ond hefyd eu teuluoedd (not only learners but also their families).

Nid or dim? Nid is standard in writing, on the news and in careful speech. Before a front word it is always nid, before consonants and vowels alike. Everyday speech often says dim: Dim fi wnaeth! Both are correct for their setting. Nid before a verb, as in Nid oes, is literary; see Literary Negation.

Answers and that-clauses. A question with a front word is answered with Ie or Nage. After verbs like think or say, a denied front word uses nad: Dw i'n siŵr nad fi oedd e; see Mai and Taw.

Only. The same "nothing but" idea is behind dim ond (only): Does dim ond un ffordd (There's only one way).