beth am + Soft Mutation

What About...? Beth Am

Level 2

Beth am...? means "What about...?" or "How about...?". It is a handy way to suggest something: Beth am goffi?

How It Works

Suggesting a thing: Beth am + soft-mutated noun.

  • Beth am goffi? — How about a coffee? (coffi)
  • Beth am ddydd Sadwrn? — What about Saturday? (dydd)

Suggesting an activity: Beth am + soft-mutated verb-noun.

  • Beth am fynd i'r sinema? — How about going to the cinema? (mynd)
  • Beth am gael pizza? — How about having pizza? (cael)
  • Beth am drio eto? — How about trying again? (trio)

Why the mutation? Am is one of the prepositions that cause soft mutation; see am ar at dan dros drwy gan heb i o wrth + soft mutation. Words that cannot soften stay the same: Beth am y plant?, Beth am Siân?

What about you? Before a pronoun, am changes form: Beth amdanat ti? (to ti), Beth amdanoch chi? (to chi). See amdana i amdanat ti amdano fe. In quick speech beth is often be: Be am goffi?

Other ways to suggest: Awn ni! (Let's go!) and Hoffech chi...? (Would you like...?); see awn ni and gadewch i ni and hoffwn i.

Examples (6)

  1. Beth am goffi?

    How about a coffee?

    Word by Word: What about coffee?

    Coffi softens to goffi.

  2. Beth am fynd i'r sinema heno?

    How about going to the cinema tonight?

    Mynd softens to fynd.

  3. Beth am ddydd Sadwrn? Syniad da!

    What about Saturday? Good idea!

    Dydd softens to ddydd.

  4. Beth am gael pizza?

    How about having pizza?

    Cael softens to gael.

  5. Beth am y plant?

    What about the children?

    Y does not change.

  6. Dw i'n iawn, diolch. Beth amdanat ti?

    I'm fine, thanks. What about you?

    Before ti, am becomes amdanat.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the soft mutation after am.

    Beth am coffi?
    Beth am goffi?

    Am causes soft mutation: coffi → goffi, mynd → fynd.

  • Using am directly before a pronoun.

    Beth am ti, Siôn?
    Beth amdanat ti, Siôn?

    Before a pronoun, am uses its personal forms: amdanat ti, amdanoch chi, amdano fe.

How It Connects

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

beth am + Soft MutationLevel 2What About...? Beth Am

Learn This First

Beth am uses beth and the softening preposition am.

Words in This Pattern

beth