pa + Soft Mutation

Which: Pa + Soft Mutation

Level 2

pa + a soft-mutated noun = which ...? or what ...?: llyfr → Pa lyfr? (Which book?).

How It Works

Pa + soft mutation

  • llyfr → Pa lyfr? Which book?
  • diwrnod → Pa ddiwrnod? Which day?
  • lliw → Pa liw? What colour?
  • bws → Pa fws? Which bus?
  • math → Pa fath o...? What kind of...?

Pa or beth? Beth (what) stands alone: Beth wyt ti eisiau? Pa goes with a noun: Pa gacen wyt ti eisiau? (Which cake do you want?). See Basic Question Words.

Which one? pa un, often said p'un: P'un wyt ti eisiau? (Which one do you want?)

Pa mor + adjective. Mor never changes after pa, but the adjective after mor softens (except ll and rh): Pa mor bell? (How far?), Pa mor dda? (How good?), Pa mor aml? (How often?). See As ... As: Mor ... â.

Word order. The pa phrase comes first. With bod, use ydy (yw in the South, ydi in the North): Pa ddiwrnod ydy hi heddiw? When the pa phrase is the subject, use sy: Pa fws sy'n mynd i'r dref? (Which bus goes to town?). See Who Is? What Is?.

Examples (6)

  1. Pa lyfr ydy'r gorau?

    Which book is the best?

    llyfr → lyfr after pa.

  2. Pa ddiwrnod ydy hi heddiw?

    What day is it today?

    diwrnod → ddiwrnod after pa.

  3. Pa fath o gerddoriaeth wyt ti'n hoffi?

    What kind of music do you like?

    math → fath after pa, and cerddoriaeth → gerddoriaeth after o.

  4. Pa liw ydy dy gar di?

    What colour is your car?

    lliw → liw after pa.

  5. Pa mor bell ydy Caerdydd?

    How far is Cardiff?

    Mor stays mor; pell → bell after mor.

  6. Pa fws sy'n mynd i Aberystwyth?

    Which bus goes to Aberystwyth?

    The pa phrase is the subject, so the verb is sy.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to soften after pa.

    Pa diwrnod?
    Pa ddiwrnod?

    Pa causes soft mutation: d becomes dd.

  • Using pa without a noun.

    Pa wyt ti eisiau?
    Beth wyt ti eisiau?

    Pa must have a noun after it. For what on its own, use beth; for which one, use pa un (p'un).

  • Mutating mor after pa.

    Pa for bell ydy e?
    Pa mor bell ydy e?

    In pa mor, mor never changes. Only the adjective after mor softens.

How It Connects

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

pa + Soft MutationLevel 2Which: Pa + Soft Mutation

Learn This First

Pa is a question word that softens the noun.

Words in This Pattern

papapa morpa fath o