Use of yn and y and one more question

Welsh General / Questions
#1

Hi,
Sometimes I’m confused about when to put “yn” into a sentence.
For example:
Nes i gyfarfod rhywun neithiwr sydd isio darllen y llyfr hwn.
I met someone last night who wants to read this book.
For some reason I keep putting “yn” in the sentence:
Nes i gyfarfod rhywun neithiwr sy’n isio darllen y llyfr hwn.
Does that make the sentence “I met someone last night who is wanting to read this book” as opposed to “I met someone last night who wants to read this book?”
Is that the difference by adding “yn”? Sometimes I just don’t know when to add it or not.

Question #2:
I sometimes have the same problem with yr and 'r
For example:
Mae hi’n licio’r ffilm 'na
She likes that film
I thought that since y, and 'r are (sort of) an equivalent of “the,” that there would be no 'r in the sentence, “Mae hi’n licio’r ffilm 'na” By adding the 'r isn’t it like adding the word “the”? So doesn’t the sentence read, “She likes the that film?”
Or, there is the distinct possibility that I’m hearing an 'r on the Challenge when there really isn’t one!:flushed:

And, last question. Why is “I’d like” Licwn i and “He’d like” Byddai fo’n licio. One is saying “I would” and the other is saying “He would” Why don’t they use the same form?
Thank you for helping me clear up these little nagging questions!
~Priscilla

#2

  1. The word yn usually appears as a linking word in sentences in the present tense (although often abbreviated to 'n): Dw i’n dysgu Cymraeg - I am learning Welsh. But if the verb is “want”, you get eisiau, which does not use the linking yn: Dw i eisiau darllen y llyfr hwn - I want to read this book.
    The same happens when the sentence is part of a larger sentence. Since the verb of the relative clause is “want”, the yn doesn’t appear:
    Nes i gyfarfod rhywun neithiwr sydd eisiau darllen y llyfr hwn.

  2. Welsh uses the definite article whenever you have a specific object, don’t get hung up on the fact that the English phrase has no article. Y llyfr’na translates to “the book there”, but in natural English you say “that book”. Mae hi’n licio’r ffilm’na. - She likes that film.

  3. There are two ways to form “I’d like” and he’d like, and SSiW sometimes shows you one form for one person and another for other persons. Both are interchangeable, and you can just choose the one you are more comfortable with (and sometimes the same person won’t always stick to the same form):
    I’d like - Liciwn i / Byddwn i’n licio
    He’d like – Liciai fo / Byddai fo’n licio
    (In the short form you conjugate the verb licio, in the long form you conjugate the auxiliary verb bod to be and then add the unconjugated verb)

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#3

Thank you for this information! I appreciate your help. I shall endeavor to keep working on, and paying attention to yn, y and 'r and the answer you gave to my last question was also super helpful! Thanks again.

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#4

Oh, one last quick question! Did you ever hear of “gwatchio” used in place of “gwylio”?
I think I remember hearing my mother use that word when I was very young. It may be an Americanized version of gwylio or a Welsh version of watch. Thanks!!

#5

Yes, ‘gwatsio’ is common in some parts - and apparently it dates back to the 16th century. Here’s a 20th century use! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drvi0aGLXIU

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#6

Wow! Thanks for this information. I wasn’t sure I was remembering it correctly. I don’t remember hearing gwylio very much, only gwatsio (thanks for the spelling correction too!) I’m happy to know I remembered it correctly and that it’s a real word!:grinning:

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