Fy enw i ydy
Saying Your Name
Two easy ways to say your name: Siân dw i (I'm Siân) and Fy enw i ydy Siân (My name is Siân).
How It Works
Way 1: name + dw i. Siân dw i. (I'm Siân.) Aled dw i. This is the quickest and most common.
Way 2: Fy enw i + ydy + name. Fy enw i ydy Siân. (My name is Siân.) In the South and in writing, ydy is often yw: Fy enw i yw Siân. In the North you will also hear ydi. See ydy yw and ydi.
Asking someone's name:
- to someone you call ti: Beth ydy dy enw di? (South: Beth yw dy enw di?)
- to someone you call chi: Beth ydy'ch enw chi? (South: Beth yw'ch enw chi?)
In casual speech, beth is often shortened to be. For ti and chi, see Familiar Ti and Polite Chi.
Why the name comes first. When you say exactly who someone is, Welsh puts that noun first, then the verb: Siân dw i, Mari ydy hi (She's Mari). The same pattern gives Athro dw i (I'm a teacher); see athro dw i. The describing pattern with mae and yn is for what someone is like: Dw i'n hapus.
Fy enw i. Fy means "my", and the i after the noun echoes it. Enw starts with a vowel, so fy does not change it. See fy + nasal mutation and possessive + noun + echo pronoun.
Examples (6)
- Siân dw i.
I'm Siân.
The name comes first, then dw i.
- Fy enw i ydy Aled.
My name is Aled.
- Fy enw i yw Megan.
My name is Megan.
South and writing: yw.
- Beth yw dy enw di?
What's your name?
South, to someone you call ti. Also: Beth ydy dy enw di?
- Beth ydy'ch enw chi? Tom dw i.
What's your name? I'm Tom.
To someone you call chi.
- Pwy ydy hi? Mari ydy hi.
Who is she? She's Mari.
The same name-first pattern for other people.
Common Mistakes
Using yn with a name.
Dw i'n Siân.Siân dw i.Yn describes what someone is like or what kind of person they are. To say who you are, put the name first: Siân dw i.
Building the sentence with mae and yn.
Mae fy enw i'n Siân.Fy enw i ydy Siân.Naming uses the name-first pattern with ydy (yw in the South), not mae and yn.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Saying and asking a name uses a bod sentence and the question word beth.
Related Patterns
- Athro dw iIdentifying Sentences: Athro Dw I
The same noun-first pattern for jobs and roles.
Level 2 - ydy / yw / ydiYdy, Yw and Ydi
Regional forms of ydy.
Level 2 - ti / chiFamiliar Ti and Polite Chi
Choose between dy enw di and eich enw chi.
Level 1 - fy + Nasal MutationMy: Fy + Nasal Mutation
Learn more about fy (my).
Level 2 - Sut mae? / Shwmae?How Are You? Sut Mae and Shwmae
Greet someone before asking their name.
Level 1 - Echo Pronouns After Possessives
Why i follows fy enw.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice Fy enw i ydy in Bubblegum
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