How to use nag

Welsh General / Questions
#1

Really struggling with use of nag - any help appreciated - end of Level 2 Lesson 22 totally threw me

#2

I have to admit I don’t have time to check the actual lesson (I’m “at work” :wink: ), but there are basically two places where ‘nag’ could occur.

‘nag’ is ‘na’ - the g is added if it precedes a vowel, and ‘na’ can mean ‘nor’ or ‘than’.
When ‘na’ means ‘nor’, it technically changes to ‘nac’ before a vowel, but in speech ‘nac’ often sounds like ‘nag’.
e.g. Dydy hi ddim yn rhad nac yn drud (It’s neither cheap nor expensive) which can sound like “rhad nag yn drud”.
If there is no following vowel, you’d have “Does dim cacenau na bisgedi ar gael” (There are no cakes or biscuits available)

When ‘na’ means ‘than’ it changes to ‘nag’ before a vowel
e.g. Dwi’n dy garu ti fwy nag erioed (I love you more than ever)
If there is no following vowel, you’d have “Mae pump yn llai na chwech” (Five is fewer than six)

Does that help? Or is it something different (if I’d listened to the lesson)?

3 Likes
#3

I remember that challenge, it’s super tough! It is used when there is a negative with that. So for example ‘i said that they aren’t going’ - dwedes i nag i nhw’n mynd. I think that’s right, but others may need to correct me. It’s explained in level 3 but pops up a few times in level 2, but there are loads with different tenses in that challenge. I remember that earlier in level 2 it was used with ‘that i shouldn’t’ - na ddilyn i .

1 Like
#4

Ah - that ‘nag’…! That one, that means a negative ‘that’ before a vowel (as Emma said) is a sneaky one because technically it should be ‘nad’ but in the South people say ‘nag’. I forgot that one because I speak Northern and you hardly ever hear it up here in North Wales (I knew I should’ve listened to the lesson! :flushed:)

3 Likes