Present Questions With bod
To ask a yes-no question in the present, swap the statement form of bod for its question form: Mae hi'n oer → Ydy hi'n oer?
How It Works
Statement → question:
- dw i → Ydw i? (Am I?)
- rwyt ti → Wyt ti? (Are you?)
- mae e / mae o → Ydy e? (North: Ydi o?) (Is he? Is it?)
- mae hi → Ydy hi? (North: Ydi hi?) (Is she? Is it?)
- dyn ni → Ydyn ni? (North: Ydan ni?) (Are we?)
- dych chi → Dych chi? (North: Dach chi?) (Are you?). This looks just like the statement, so your voice rises at the end. The fuller form is Ydych chi?
- maen nhw → Ydyn nhw? (Are they?)
Many Southern speakers also say Yw e? and Yw hi?; see ydy yw and ydi.
Noun subjects take ydy (ydi in the North), even when plural: Ydy'r plant yn barod? Ydy Siân yn dod?
Answering. Welsh answers by repeating the verb: Wyt ti'n dod? Ydw. See Yes and No in the Present.
Questions with a question word such as ble (where) or sut (how) keep mae: Ble mae'r banc? See Basic Question Words and mae vs ydy.
Examples (6)
- Wyt ti'n hoffi coffi?
Do you like coffee?
Rwyt ti becomes Wyt ti? in a question.
- Ydy hi'n brysur heno?
Is she busy tonight?
Mae hi becomes Ydy hi? in a question.
- Ydi o'n gweithio heddiw?
Is he working today?
North: Ydi o? South: Ydy e'n gweithio heddiw?
- Dych chi'n siarad Cymraeg?
Do you speak Welsh?
The question sounds like the statement with a rising voice. North: Dach chi'n siarad Cymraeg?
- Ydyn nhw'n barod?
Are they ready?
Maen nhw becomes Ydyn nhw? in a question.
- Ydy'r trên yn hwyr?
Is the train late?
A noun subject takes ydy.
Common Mistakes
Using the plural question form with a plural noun.
Ydyn y plant yn barod?Ydy'r plant yn barod?Just like mae in statements, a noun subject takes the singular form ydy, even when the noun is plural.
Using ydy with the pronoun nhw.
Ydy nhw'n barod?Ydyn nhw'n barod?With the pronoun nhw, use the plural form ydyn.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Present questions use the question forms of bod.
Related Patterns
- Ydw / Nac ydwYes and No in the Present: Ydw and Nac Ydw
Answer these questions by echoing the verb.
Level 1 - Present Negatives With ddim
Make the same forms negative.
Level 1 - ydy / yw / ydiYdy, Yw and Ydi
Regional forms of ydy.
Level 2 - mae or ydy?
Learn when to use mae and when to use ydy.
Level 3 - beth / pwy / ble / pryd / pam / sutBasic Question Words
Ask questions with question words.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Present Questions With bod in Bubblegum
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