pan + Soft Mutation

When: Pan + Soft Mutation

Level 3

Pan means when in a statement. A verb right after it softens: pan ddaeth hi (when she came).

How It Works

Past events. Use a past form, softened:

  • Pan ddaeth hi adre, roedd pawb yn cysgu. — When she came home, everyone was asleep.
  • Pan welais i hi, roedd hi'n crio. — When I saw her, she was crying.

Background in the past. Use the past of bod that describes how things were (ro'n i, roedd). Its forms start with a vowel, so nothing changes: pan o'n i'n blentyn (when I was a child), pan oedd hi'n byw yma (when she lived here).

Future and habits. English uses the present after when, but Welsh uses the future of bod: Ffonia fi pan fyddi di'n barod (Phone me when you're ready). Pan fydd hi'n braf, dw i'n cerdded i'r gwaith (When it's fine, I walk to work).

Which mutation? Pan softens: b → f (bydd → fydd), d → dd (daeth → ddaeth), g drops (gwelais → welais), c → g (cyrhaeddon → gyrhaeddon). See soft mutation.

Pan or pryd? Pan is for statements. To ask when?, use pryd: see pan or pryd. For while, see wrth + verb-noun.

Examples (6)

  1. Pan ddaeth e adre, roedd pawb yn cysgu.

    When he came home, everyone was asleep.

    Daeth softens to ddaeth after pan. South: e. In the North: Pan ddaeth o adre, roedd pawb yn cysgu.

  2. Pan welais i hi, roedd hi'n crio.

    When I saw her, she was crying.

    Gwelais loses its g after pan.

  3. Dewch i'n gweld ni pan fyddwch chi yng Nghaerdydd.

    Come and see us when you're in Cardiff.

    Welsh uses the future (byddwch chi) for a time that hasn't come yet, softened to fyddwch.

  4. Pan o'n i'n blentyn, ro'n i'n byw yn y wlad.

    When I was a child, I lived in the country.

    O'n i starts with a vowel, so nothing changes.

  5. Pan gyrhaeddon ni, roedd y siop ar gau.

    When we arrived, the shop was closed.

    Cyrhaeddon softens to gyrhaeddon.

  6. Pan fydd hi'n braf, dw i'n cerdded i'r gwaith.

    When it's fine, I walk to work.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to soften the verb after pan.

    Pan gwelais i hi, roedd hi'n crio.
    Pan welais i hi, roedd hi'n crio.

    Pan softens the verb after it: gwelais becomes welais.

How It Connects

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

pan + Soft MutationLevel 3When: Pan + Soft Mutation

Learn This First

Pan softens a following verb, as preverbal mi and fe do.

Words in This Pattern