-af / mwyaf Superlative

Superlatives: -af and Mwyaf

Level 3

For the -est, add -af: y car cyflymaf (the fastest car). For long adjectives, use mwyaf: y llyfr mwyaf diddorol (the most interesting book).

How It Works

Regular superlatives.

  • tal → talaf (tallest)
  • cyflym → cyflymaf (fastest)
  • uchel → uchaf (highest)
  • drud → drutaf, gwlyb → gwlypaf (b, d and g harden, as with -ach)

Long adjectives use mwyaf: y mwyaf diddorol (the most interesting), y mwyaf cyfforddus.

Irregular superlatives.

  • da → gwell → gorau (best)
  • drwg → gwaeth → gwaethaf (worst)
  • mawr → mwy → mwyaf (biggest)
  • bach → llai → lleiaf (smallest)
  • hen → hŷn → hynaf (oldest)
  • agos → nes → nesaf (nearest, next)

Speech drops the f. Standard writing keeps -af, but people say cyflyma, gwaetha and mwya, and informal writing often shows this with an apostrophe: y tala'. Gorau is usually said gora in the North and gore in the South; you will hear gore in parts of the North too.

Word order. The superlative usually follows the noun (y car cyflymaf) or comes after a fronted subject with ydy: Fi ydy'r gorau (I'm the best). In the South and in writing this is Fi yw'r gorau. Because the sentence starts with the subject, the answer to Aled ydy'r gorau? is Ie or Nage.

Feminine forms soften. After a feminine singular noun, and after y when it refers to a woman or a feminine noun, the superlative takes soft mutation: y ffordd orau (the best way), Mari ydy'r dalaf (Mari is the tallest).

Examples (6)

  1. Dyma'r car cyflymaf.

    This is the fastest car.

  2. Yr Wyddfa ydy'r mynydd uchaf yng Nghymru.

    Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales.

    In the South and in writing: Yr Wyddfa yw'r mynydd uchaf.

  3. Hi ydy'r orau yn y dosbarth.

    She's the best in the class.

    Gorau softens to orau because it refers to a woman.

  4. Beth ydy'r ffordd orau i'r orsaf?

    What's the best way to the station?

    Ffordd is feminine, so gorau softens after it.

  5. Dyma'r rhaglen fwyaf diddorol ar y teledu.

    This is the most interesting programme on television.

    Rhaglen is feminine, so mwyaf softens to fwyaf; diddorol stays the same.

  6. Fy mrawd i ydy'r hynaf.

    My brother is the oldest.

Common Mistakes

  • Building a superlative of da with mwyaf.

    Hi ydy'r fwyaf da.
    Hi ydy'r orau.

    Da has its own superlative, gorau.

How It Connects

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

-af / mwyaf SuperlativeLevel 3Superlatives: -af and Mwyaf

Learn This First

Superlatives parallel the comparative system.

Words in This Pattern

-af-agwaethaflleiaf