Ydw / Nac ydw
Yes and No in the Present: Ydw and Nac Ydw
Instead of "yes" or "no", Welsh answers with the verb: Wyt ti'n dod? — Ydw (Yes, I am) or Nac ydw (No, I'm not).
How It Works
Question → yes / no:
- Wyt ti ...? → Ydw / Nac ydw (I am / I'm not)
- Dych chi ...? to one person → Ydw / Nac ydw; to a group → Ydyn / Nac ydyn (we are / we aren't)
- Ydy e/hi ...? or Ydy'r ...? → Ydy / Nac ydy (North: Ydi / Nac ydi)
- Ydyn nhw ...? → Ydyn / Nac ydyn (they are / they aren't)
- Ydw i ...? → Wyt / Nac wyt to ti, or Ydych / Nac ydych to chi (you are / you aren't)
For "we", Northern speakers often say Ydan / Nac ydan.
Nac is the "no" word here. It is nac because ydw starts with a vowel.
You can add more after the answer: Ydw, wrth gwrs! (Yes, of course!) or Nac ydw, diolch (No, thanks).
Other questions need other answers. "Is there...?" is answered Oes / Nac oes (see Oes and Does dim). Past questions are answered Do / Naddo (see do and naddo). If the question opens with a noun or a phrase instead of a verb, the answer is Ie / Nage in the South and Ia / Naci in the North (see ie and nage). Other tenses echo their own verb (see echo answers in other tenses).
Examples (6)
- Wyt ti'n dod? Ydw.
Are you coming? Yes, I am.
A question about you gets an answer about me: ydw.
- Ydy hi'n oer? Nac ydy.
Is it cold? No, it isn't.
- Dych chi'n siarad Cymraeg? Ydw, tipyn bach.
Do you speak Welsh? Yes, a little.
Chi to one person, so the answer is ydw (I am). North: Dach chi'n siarad Cymraeg?
- Ydyn nhw'n barod? Ydyn.
Are they ready? Yes, they are.
- Ydi o'n gweithio heddiw? Nac ydi.
Is he working today? No, he isn't.
North: ydi. South: Ydy e'n gweithio heddiw? Nac ydy.
- Dych chi'n dod hefyd? Ydyn, wrth gwrs!
Are you all coming too? Yes, of course!
Answering for a group: ydyn (we are). North: Dach chi'n dod hefyd? Ydan, wrth gwrs!
Common Mistakes
Repeating the question's person instead of your own.
Wyt ti'n dod? Wyt.Wyt ti'n dod? Ydw.Answer for yourself. The question is about "you" (wyt ti), so the answer is about "me" (ydw).
Answering yes with yw.
Ydy hi'n oer? Yw.Ydy hi'n oer? Ydy.Yw appears inside some sentences, but it is never used on its own as the answer yes. Answer ydy (or ydi in the North).
How It Connects
Learn This First
Yes and no echo the verb of a present question.
Related Patterns
- Oes? / Does dimIs There? There Isn't: Oes and Does Dim
Answer "Is there...?" with oes or nac oes.
Level 1 - Do / NaddoYes and No in the Past: Do and Naddo
Answer past questions with do or naddo.
Level 2 - Echo Answers in Other Tenses
Echo the verb in other tenses too.
Level 3 - Ie / NageYes and No to Focused Questions: Ie and Nage
Answer questions that do not start with a verb.
Level 3 - ydy / yw / ydiYdy, Yw and Ydi
Regional forms of ydy.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Ydw / Nac ydw in Bubblegum
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