bo / boed / bydded
Subjunctive Forms: Bo, Boed, Bydded (Recognition)
Bydd y bws yma cyn bo hir — The bus will be here before long. Bo is a subjunctive form of bod, kept alive in set phrases like this.
How It Works
What the subjunctive is. It is a special verb form for things that are wished for, possible or not yet real. English keeps a little of it in "God save the King" and "be that as it may". Welsh keeps a little more, mostly in fixed phrases.
Forms of bod. The present subjunctive is bwyf, bych, bo, bôm, boch, bônt. The "let it be" forms are bydded and boed. The past subjunctive bawn, bai lives on after pe (if); see If I Were.
Set phrases to know.
- cyn bo hir — before long, soon
- Da boch chi — goodbye (literally "may you be well"); formal, and less common today than Hwyl
- boed hynny fel y bo — be that as it may
- doed a ddelo — come what may (from dod)
- tra bo — while there is: tra bo dau (as long as there are two)
- fel y bo'r angen — as needed
In literary texts. The subjunctive appears in the Bible and in blessings: Bydded goleuni (Let there be light), Duw a'th fendithio (God bless you). The national anthem has O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau (O may the old language endure). Older texts also use it after po: po hiraf y bo'r nos (the longer the night); see Po + Superlative.
How speech says it. Outside set phrases, speech uses ordinary forms: gobeithio y bydd (hopefully it will be), gadewch i ni (let's), or the future of bod (Future of Bod).
Examples (6)
- Bydd y bws yma cyn bo hir.
The bus will be here before long.
- Diolch am bopeth. Da boch chi!
Thanks for everything. Goodbye!
Boch is the chi form of the subjunctive: "may you be well".
- Doed a ddelo, dw i'n mynd.
Come what may, I'm going.
- Boed hynny fel y bo, rhaid i ni benderfynu heddiw.
Be that as it may, we have to decide today.
- Bydded goleuni.
Let there be light.
From the Welsh Bible, Genesis 1:3.
- O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau.
O may the old language endure.
From the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Subjunctive forms of bod survive in set phrases.
Related Patterns
- po + SuperlativeThe More ... the More: Po
Older texts put a subjunctive such as bo after po.
Level 5 - bydda i / byddi di / byddFuture of Bod: Bydda I
Speech uses the ordinary future of bod instead.
Level 2 - Awn ni / Gadewch i niLet's: Awn Ni and Gadewch I Ni
Speech says "let's" with gadewch i ni.
Level 3 - Infixed Pronouns 'm / 'th / 'iInfixed Object Pronouns (Recognition)
Blessings such as Duw a'th fendithio combine the subjunctive with an infixed pronoun.
Level 6
Words in This Pattern
Practice bo / boed / bydded in Bubblegum
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