y + Noun + 'ma / 'na

This and That in Speech: 'Ma and 'Na

Level 1

To say this or that, put the noun between y and 'ma or 'na: y llyfr 'ma (this book), y ferch 'na (that girl).

How It Works

Pattern: y / yr / 'r + noun + 'ma or 'na.

  • y tŷ 'ma — this house; y tŷ 'na — that house
  • yr afal 'ma — this apple
  • y ferch 'na — that girl (merch is feminine, so it softens)
  • y plant 'ma — these children; y bobl 'na — those people

Time phrases use it all the time: y bore 'ma (this morning), y tro 'ma (this time), y diwrnod 'na (that day).

Full spelling and formal Welsh. In fuller spelling you will see y llyfr yma and y llyfr yna. Formal writing prefers y llyfr hwn and y ferch hon; see hwn hon hyn.

Watch the article. After a vowel it is 'r: Dw i'n hoffi'r llyfr 'ma. See The Article: Y, Yr and 'r.

Other words look similar but do different jobs: Dyma'r llyfr (Here's the book; see Dyma, Dyna, Dacw), yma and yna as places (here, there; see yma yna yno) and Mae 'na (there is; see mae 'na).

Examples (6)

  1. Dw i'n hoffi'r llyfr 'ma.

    I like this book.

    The article is 'r after hoffi, which ends in a vowel.

  2. Pwy ydy'r ferch 'na?

    Who's that girl?

    Merch is feminine, so it softens to ferch after the article.

  3. Mae'r coffi 'ma'n oer.

    This coffee is cold.

  4. Mae hi'n oer y bore 'ma.

    It's cold this morning.

    A common time phrase.

  5. Mae'r plant 'ma'n swnllyd.

    These children are noisy.

    With a plural noun, 'ma means "these".

  6. Faint ydy'r bag 'na?

    How much is that bag?

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the article.

    Dw i'n hoffi llyfr 'ma.
    Dw i'n hoffi'r llyfr 'ma.

    'Ma and 'na need the article before the noun: y llyfr 'ma, literally "the book here".

How It Connects

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

y + Noun + 'ma / 'naLevel 1This and That in Speech: 'Ma and 'Na

Learn This First

Spoken this/that attaches 'ma and 'na to a noun with the article.

Words in This Pattern

yna'ma'na