fy mod i / ei fod e

That I Am, That He Is: Fy Mod I

Level 4

When "that" is followed by a pronoun (I, you, he ...), careful Welsh puts a possessive before bod: Dw i'n meddwl fy mod i'n iawn — I think I'm right.

How It Works

The full set (everyday forms in brackets)

  • fy mod i — that I am (bod fi, mod i)
  • dy fod di — that you are (bod ti)
  • ei fod e, North ei fod o — that he is (bod e, bod o)
  • ei bod hi — that she is (bod hi)
  • ein bod ni — that we are (bod ni)
  • eich bod chi — that you are (bod chi)
  • eu bod nhw — that they are (bod nhw)

Why a possessive? Bod is a verb-noun, and a verb-noun takes a possessive for a pronoun, just like Dw i'n ei weld e. The mutations are the ones you know from fy, dy and ei (his).

Tense. Like every bod that-clause, this covers present and imperfect: Dwedodd hi ei bod hi'n brysur means "She said she was busy". Add wedi for a finished action: Dw i'n credu ei fod e wedi mynd (I think he's gone).

Which style? The possessive forms are standard in writing and careful speech. Bod fi and bod hi are very common in everyday conversation. A halfway form is common too: the possessive is dropped but its mutation stays, as in Dw i'n credu mod i'n iawn or Dw i'n siŵr fod e'n dal.

Examples (6)

  1. Mae hi'n dweud ei bod hi'n brysur.

    She says she's busy.

  2. Dw i'n meddwl fy mod i wedi colli fy allweddi.

    I think I've lost my keys.

  3. Wyt ti'n siŵr dy fod di'n iawn?

    Are you sure you're OK?

  4. Dw i'n gwybod eu bod nhw'n dod.

    I know they're coming.

  5. Dwedodd e ei fod e'n sâl.

    He said he was ill.

  6. Dw i'n credu bod fi'n gwybod yr ateb.

    I think I know the answer.

    Everyday speech: bod fi instead of fy mod i.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the masculine form for "she".

    Mae hi'n dweud ei fod hi'n brysur.
    Mae hi'n dweud ei bod hi'n brysur.

    Ei meaning "her" does not soften b, so it is ei bod hi. Ei fod is for "he".

  • Forgetting the nasal mutation after fy.

    Dw i'n meddwl fy bod i'n iawn.
    Dw i'n meddwl fy mod i'n iawn.

    Fy causes nasal mutation, so bod becomes mod.

How It Connects

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

fy mod i / ei fod eLevel 4That I Am, That He Is: Fy Mod I

Learn This First

In a bod clause, a pronoun subject turns bod into possessive + bod.

Words in This Pattern