ydy / yw / ydi

Ydy, Yw and Ydi

Level 2

Ydy, yw and ydi are three forms of the same word, "is". Yw is common in the South and in writing, and ydi in the North.

How It Works

The three forms:

  • ydy — standard, heard everywhere
  • yw — the South and formal writing
  • ydi — the North

Where you meet them.

  • Asking what or who: Beth ydy hwn? / Beth yw hwn? / Beth ydi hwn? (What's this?), Pwy yw hi? (Who is she?), Faint yw e? (How much is it?)
  • Saying who or what someone is: Meddyg ydy hi, Cymro yw e (South), Meddyg ydi o (North). See athro dw i and fy enw i ydy.
  • Yes-no questions: Ydy hi'n oer?; the South also says Yw hi'n oer?, and the North Ydi hi'n oer?. See bod present questions.

Answers. Yes is Ydy (North Ydi) and no is Nac ydy (Nac ydi). Yw is never used on its own as an answer: Yw e'n dod? Ydy.

Negatives. The same regional pattern shows in the negative: Dydy e ddim, Dyw e ddim (South), Dydi o ddim (North). See bod present negative.

In literary Welsh you will also see A yw...? for questions; see literary questions with a.

Examples (6)

  1. Beth ydy enw'r pentref yma?

    What's the name of this village?

    Standard ydy, heard everywhere.

  2. Pwy yw hi?

    Who is she?

    South and writing: yw.

  3. Meddyg ydi o.

    He's a doctor.

    North: ydi and o.

  4. Faint yw e?

    How much is it?

    South.

  5. Ydy'r dŵr yn oer? Ydy.

    Is the water cold? Yes.

    North: Ydi'r dŵr yn oer? Ydi.

  6. Yw'r bws yn hwyr? Ydy.

    Is the bus late? Yes.

    Southern speech asks with yw, but the answer is still Ydy.

Common Mistakes

  • Answering yes with yw.

    Yw e'n dod? Yw.
    Yw e'n dod? Ydy.

    Yw is not used alone as an answer. Say Ydy (or Ydi in the North), and Nac ydy for no.

How It Connects

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

ydy / yw / ydiLevel 2Ydy, Yw and Ydi

Learn This First

Ydy, yw and ydi are used in identifying sentences and questions.

Words in This Pattern

ydi