wnes i + Verb-Noun

Past with Gwneud: Wnes I + Verb-Noun

Level 2

A past form of gwneud (do) + a soft-mutated verb-noun: Wnes i weld y ffilm (I saw the film, literally I did see the film).

How It Works

The pattern

  • Wnes i weld I saw
  • Wnest ti weld you saw
  • Wnaeth e / o / hi weld he / she saw
  • Wnaethon ni weld we saw
  • Wnaethoch chi weld you saw
  • Wnaethon nhw weld they saw

The verb-noun softens after the subject: prynu → Wnaeth hi brynu car; cerdded → Wnaethon ni gerdded adref. The object of the verb-noun does not change: Wnes i brynu bara.

Negatives. Put ddim after the subject. The verb-noun after ddim keeps its normal form: Wnes i ddim gweld y ffilm, Wnaeth hi ddim prynu car.

Questions use the same words with a question tone: Wnest ti fwynhau? (Did you enjoy it?). Answer Do or Naddo; see Yes and No in the Past.

Noun subjects take wnaeth: Wnaeth y trên adael yn hwyr (The train left late).

North and South. The pattern is used everywhere and is especially common in the North, where statements often begin with mi: Mi wnes i dalu (I paid). The South also uses the short past a lot: Talais i. Both are correct. See The Simple Past and Mi (North) and Fe (South).

Spelling. The full forms are gwnes i, gwnaeth and so on; speech nearly always softens them to wnes i, wnaeth. Very casual speech shortens them further: nes i, naeth hi.

Examples (6)

  1. Wnes i weld y ffilm neithiwr.

    I saw the film last night.

    gweld → weld.

  2. Wnaeth hi brynu car newydd.

    She bought a new car.

    prynu → brynu; car does not change.

  3. Wnaethon ni gerdded adref.

    We walked home.

    cerdded → gerdded.

  4. Wnes i ddim gweld Siân.

    I didn't see Siân.

    No mutation after ddim.

  5. Wnest ti fwynhau'r parti?

    Did you enjoy the party?

    mwynhau → fwynhau.

  6. Mi wnaeth y trên adael yn hwyr.

    The train left late.

    North: mi at the start. gadael → adael.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to soften the verb-noun.

    Wnes i gweld y ffilm.
    Wnes i weld y ffilm.

    The verb-noun comes straight after the subject of a short verb, so it softens: gweld → weld.

  • Softening the object of the verb-noun.

    Wnes i brynu fara.
    Wnes i brynu bara.

    Only the verb-noun softens. A noun that follows a verb-noun keeps its normal form.

How It Connects

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

wnes i + Verb-NounLevel 2Past with Gwneud: Wnes I + Verb-Noun

Learn This First

Wnes i + verb-noun uses the past of gwneud and a softened verb-noun.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

neshi