neu + Soft Mutation

Or: Neu + Soft Mutation

Level 2

neu = or. The word straight after it takes soft mutation: coffi → te neu goffi? (tea or coffee?).

How It Works

Soft mutation after neu

  • coffi → te neu goffi tea or coffee
  • bach → mawr neu fach big or small
  • tri → dau neu dri two or three
  • dau → un neu ddau one or two
  • mynd → aros neu fynd stay or go
  • peidio → neu beidio or not

Or not? neu beidio is a very common way to end a question: Wyt ti'n dod neu beidio? (Are you coming or not?)

With the article. Neu + y becomes neu'r, and the article stops the mutation: y car coch neu'r car glas (the red car or the blue car).

In speech neu is often said ne'.

Neu or a? A (and) causes aspirate mutation, but neu (or) causes soft mutation: te a choffi (tea and coffee) but te neu goffi (tea or coffee). See And: A and Ac and Soft Mutation.

Examples (6)

  1. Te neu goffi?

    Tea or coffee?

    coffi → goffi after neu.

  2. Dewch ddydd Sadwrn neu ddydd Sul.

    Come on Saturday or Sunday.

    dydd → ddydd after neu.

  3. Wyt ti eisiau'r un mawr neu'r un bach?

    Do you want the big one or the small one?

    The article in neu'r stops the mutation.

  4. Bydda i yno mewn dau neu dri diwrnod.

    I'll be there in two or three days.

    tri → dri after neu.

  5. Wyt ti'n dod neu beidio?

    Are you coming or not?

    peidio → beidio after neu.

  6. Hoffech chi aros neu fynd adref?

    Would you like to stay or go home?

    mynd → fynd after neu.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the soft mutation after neu.

    Te neu coffi?
    Te neu goffi?

    Neu causes soft mutation: c becomes g.

  • Using aspirate mutation after neu.

    te neu choffi
    te neu goffi

    Aspirate mutation belongs after a (and). Neu (or) causes soft mutation.

How It Connects

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neu + Soft MutationLevel 2Or: Neu + Soft Mutation

Learn This First

Neu is a coordinator that softens the next word.

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