rhywun / rhywbeth / neb / dim byd

Someone, Nobody, Something, Nothing

Level 3

Rhywun = someone, rhywbeth = something. Neb = nobody, dim byd = nothing: Does neb yma (There's nobody here).

How It Works

The words.

  • someone rhywun — nobody neb — anyone unrhyw un
  • something rhywbeth — nothing dim byd — anything unrhyw beth
  • somewhere rhywle — nowhere unman — anywhere unrhyw le
  • some rhai: Mae rhai pobl yn ... (Some people ...)

Positive sentences. Mae rhywun wrth y drws (There's someone at the door).

Questions. Both rhywun and unrhyw un are used: Oes rhywun yma? (Is anyone here?)

Negatives.

  • With does: Does neb yma. (There's nobody here.) Does dim byd yn y bocs. (There's nothing in the box.)
  • With a short past verb: Welais i neb. (I saw nobody.) In Welais i ddim byd, dim byd has simply softened as the object.
  • With bod + yn or wedi, keep ddim: Dw i ddim wedi gweld neb, Dw i ddim yn mynd i unman.

One-word answers. Pwy sy yna? — Neb. Beth wnest ti? — Dim byd.

Mutations. Unrhyw and rhyw (some, a certain) soften the next word: unrhyw broblem, rhyw ddyn. As the object of a short verb, rhywun and rhywbeth soften too: Welais i rywun, Glywaist ti rywbeth? See objects after short verbs.

For everyone and everything, see pawb and popeth.

Examples (6)

  1. Mae rhywun wrth y drws.

    There's someone at the door.

  2. Does neb yma.

    There's nobody here.

  3. Wnes i ddim byd ddoe.

    I didn't do anything yesterday.

    Dim byd softens to ddim byd as the object of wnes i.

  4. Dw i ddim wedi siarad â neb.

    I haven't spoken to anyone.

    With wedi, keep ddim; neb means anyone here.

  5. Glywaist ti rywbeth?

    Did you hear something?

    Rhywbeth softens to rywbeth as the object.

  6. Oes unrhyw gwestiynau?

    Are there any questions?

    Unrhyw softens cwestiynau to gwestiynau.

Common Mistakes

  • Using rhywun when you mean "I haven't seen anyone".

    Dw i ddim wedi gweld rhywun.
    Dw i ddim wedi gweld neb.

    In a negative sentence, anyone is neb. Rhywun means a particular someone.

How It Connects

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

rhywun / rhywbeth / neb / dim bydLevel 3Someone, Nobody, Something, Nothing

Learn This First

Negative indefinites go with negatives.

Words in This Pattern

rhywunrhywbethrhywlenebdim bydunman