Of: Noun + Noun

Level 2

Thing + owner: car Siân (Siân's car), drws y tŷ (the door of the house).

How It Works

Thing + owner

  • car Siân Siân's car
  • tad Aled Aled's father
  • drws y tŷ the door of the house
  • canol y dref the middle of the town
  • enw'r ci the dog's name
  • prifddinas Cymru the capital of Wales

No article on the first noun. Say drws y tŷ, never y drws y tŷ. The phrase still means the door, so it takes yn for in: yng nghanol y dref. See In: Yn + Nasal Mutation.

Indefinite owners. Without y, the owner means a or some: car athro (a teacher's car), tŷ ffermwr (a farmer's house).

Chains. You can link more than two nouns: car tad Siân (Siân's father's car).

The owner does not soften. An owner keeps its normal form, even after a feminine noun: cath Tom (Tom's cat), merch Gareth (Gareth's daughter). This is different from a describing noun, which does soften after a feminine noun: siop lyfrau (bookshop). See Noun + Noun Compounds.

Pronoun owners. For my, your, his and so on, use a possessive word instead: ei gar e (his car). See Echo Pronouns After Possessives.

Examples (6)

  1. Dyma gar Siân.

    This is Siân's car.

    Car softens after dyma; Siân simply follows it.

  2. Mae drws y tŷ ar agor.

    The door of the house is open.

    No y before drws.

  3. Beth ydy enw'r ci?

    What's the dog's name?

  4. Caerdydd ydy prifddinas Cymru.

    Cardiff is the capital of Wales.

  5. Dw i'n byw yng nghanol y ddinas.

    I live in the middle of the city.

    canol y ddinas is definite, so it takes yng.

  6. Mae car tad Siân yn newydd.

    Siân's father's car is new.

    A chain of three nouns.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the article on the first noun.

    Mae'r drws y tŷ ar agor.
    Mae drws y tŷ ar agor.

    The first noun never takes y. Drws y tŷ already means the door of the house.

  • Using o for possession.

    car o Siân
    car Siân

    Welsh shows the owner just by putting it second. O means from or of in other uses, not 's.

How It Connects

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

Of: Noun + NounLevel 2

Learn This First

The genitive is noun + owner, and the first noun never takes the article.