Lesson 3. Simple Sentences ========================== Revision 1.13 of this page, last updated on 2003/02/17. (C)opyright 1994-2003 Mark H. Nodine An HTML version of this lesson can be found at [http://www.cs.brown.edu/fun/welsh/Lesson03.html] This lesson and all previous ones are available for anonymous ftp from ftp.cs.brown.edu in the directory /u/man/welsh. See README.etx for a list of the contents. Contents: 3.1. How to say "a" and "the" 3.2. How to say "I am reading" 3.3. Adjectives I 3.4. "This" and "that" Ymarfer 3 Sgwrs 3 Geirfa 3 Exercises 3 3.1. How to say "a" and "the" ----------------------------- In English, we have two kinds of article: a definite article ("the") and an indefinite article ("a", "an"). Welsh has no word for "a" (you can still say "uh", though, when you're trying to think of what to say next). The Welsh language thus proves the indefinite article to be superfluous by omitting it. (Some languages, such as Russian and Latin, omit both articles, but that's for a different set of lessons.) Thus, the word "car" can be translated either "car" or "a car", depending on the context. The definite article in Welsh has three different forms, just as the English indefinite article has two forms. They are summarized in the table below: -------------------------------------------- -------- **Condition** **Form** -------------------------------------------- -------- If the preceding word ends in a vowel 'r -------------------------------------------- -------- Else if the next word starts with a vowel yr -------------------------------------------- -------- Otherwise y ============================================ ======== Note: An "h" at the beginning of a word is considered a vowel. Contrarily, sometimes a "w" at the beginning is not considered a vowel. Some examples: ------------------- ----------------- y gwely the bed yr achos the cause yr haf the summer Mae'r gwely yma. The bed is here. =================== ================= Although most place names do not use the definite article, there are a few that do, including: ----------------- --------------- yr Affrig Africa yr Alban Scotland yr Eidal Italy y Swistir Switzerland ================= =============== Note on pronunciation: The "y"s in the definite article go against the normal pronunciation of "y" in monosyllabic words, and are obscure. 3.2. How to say "I am reading" ------------------------------ As mentioned back in Section 2.1, the verb "to be" is used as a helping verb in making the present tense of other verbs. The particle "yn" is used to do the linking. (The "y" sound in "yn" is obscure.) Here's the general sentence pattern: --------------------------- ------------------------ Mae Alun yn darllen. Alun is reading. =========================== ======================== After pronouns ending in vowels, the "yn" is contracted: --------------------------- ------------------------ Mae hi'n darllen. She is reading. =========================== ======================== The sentences in this can be translated "is reading", "reads", or "does read". A direct object can be placed after the verb: --------------------------- ------------------------ Rydyn ni'n darllen llyfr. We are reading a book. =========================== ======================== Negative sentences can be constructed in a similar fashion: --------------------------- ------------------------ Dydy hi ddim yn darllen. She doesn't read. =========================== ======================== Note: The singular form of the verb is always used with a compound or plural subject. The "maen" form only occurs with the pronoun "nhw". Thus, we have --------------------------- ------------------------ Mae Alun a Mari yn mynd. Alun and Mari go. Mae llewod yn mynd. Lions go. Maen nhw'n mynd. They go. =========================== ======================== 3.3. Adjectives I ----------------- No language would be complete without adjectives (although I am told Hebrew has only a few), and Welsh is no exception. Welsh is like French in that it places the adjective after the noun that it modifies: ---------------------- ------------------------ gwely bach a little bed ====================== ======================== The adverb "iawn" (very) goes right after the adjective it modifies: ---------------------- ------------------------ da iawn very good ====================== ======================== 3.4. "This" and "that" ---------------------- "This" and "that" can be expressed by putting the definite article before the word and either 'ma or 'na (respectively) after the word: ---------------------- ------------------------ yr achos 'ma this cause y ty+ 'na that house ====================== ======================== Ymarfer 3 --------- Make up sentences by picking one item from each column ___________________ _____________________ Mae Sia+n a fi yn meddwl yn y ty+ 'na. Dydyn ni ddim yn gweld gwely yma. Rydw i'n byw yn yr Eidal. Mae llewod yn darllen llyfr bach. Maen nhw'n osgoi'r plentyn 'ma. =================== ===================== Sgwrs 3 ------- [A translation of this conversation can be found in a different file.] Plentyn bach: Ble mae'r ci mawr yn byw? Mam: Mae'r ci yn byw yma yn y ty+. Plentyn: O. Ble mae llewod yn byw? Mam: Maen nhw'n byw yn yr Affrig. Plentyn: Ydw i'n byw yn yr Affrig? Mam: Nag wyt. Dwyt ti ddim yn byw yn yr Affrig. Plentyn: Chi a Dadi, ydych chi'n byw yn yr Affrig? Mam: Nag ydyn. Dydyn ni ddim yn byw yn yr Affrig. Plentyn: Pam? Mam: Achos rydyn ni'n osgoi llewod. Geirfa 3 -------- a (ac) - (conj.) and achos - (conj.) cause, because Affrig, yr - Africa bach - (adj.) small ble - where byw - (v.) to live ci - dog da - (adj.) good darllen - (v.) to read Eidal, yr - Italy gadael - (v.) to leave, to let geirfa - vocabulary gweld - (v.) to see gwely - bed haf - summer iard - yard iawn - (adv.) very llewod - lions llyfr - book mam - mother mawr - (adj.) large meddwl - (v.) to think mynd - (v.) to go osgoi - (v.) to avoid pam - why plentyn - child sgwrs - talk, chat, conversation Swistir, y - Switzerland ty+ - house yma - here ymarfer - practice yn - (prep.) in yn - Notes: (1) The "ac" form is used before vowels. (2) The word "osgoi" is pronounced with the stress on the final syllable. (3) The "y" in both forms of "yn" is obscure. Exercises 3 ----------- [The answers can be found in a separate file.] 1. Give the correct form of the definite article below: -- ------------------------------------------------------------- a. Ble mae _____ ci? b. Wyt ti'n gadael _____ achos? c. Ydych chi'n gweld _____ llewod? d. Rydw i yn _____ iard. e. Maen nhw yn _____ ty+. f. Ble mae _____ haf? == ============================================================= 2. Translate the following sentences into Welsh -- ------------------------------------------------------------- a. I read a good book. b. Alun and Nerys avoid lions. c. The little child lives in this house. d. I think because I am. e. We don't leave that cause. f. Lions don't think in the summer. g. Do you (formal) live in Switzerland? No. h. They see that very good child. i. Is the big dog in the yard? Yes. == =============================================================