The past tense · Y gorffennol

Part ofCore Cymraeg CraiddGrammar · Gramadeg

Introduction - Cyflwyniad

Using the past tense will help you describe past events, such as:

  • what you did at the weekend, and
  • what you did during the holidays.

It is important that you can use the correct past tense form to make it clear who did the action as well as when it took place.

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Video 1: The Past Tense - Y Gorffennol

How to use regular verbs in the past tense in Welsh.

In Welsh, the past tense is formed by changing the end of the verb.

  • The verb ending has two jobs. Not only does it tells us that the action has already happened, but it also tells us who did the action.

  • Most regular verbs will follow a pattern – this will make them easy to change into the past tense forms.

  • Be aware! Not all regular verbs change into the past tense the same way. Look carefully to see whether the spelling changes before you add the ending.

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How to find the verb stem

When changing regular verbs into their past tense form, it is important to look at the end of the verb. This will help you find the verb stem.

Llinell / Line

Verbs ending with a vowel:

Teimlo(to) Feel
Prynu(to) Buy
Sgorio(to) Score

With these verbs you will need to remove the last vowel, and replace it with the correct past tense ending.

For example:
→ Sgori → Sgori + ais i →

Llinell / Line

Verbs ending with a consonant:

Darllen(to) Read
Ateb(to) Answer
Siarad(to) Speak

With these verbs you won't need to remove any letters, just add the correct past ending at the end of the verb.

For example:
→ Darllen + ais i →

Llinell / Line

Verbs ending with ‘-ed’ or ‘-eg’:

Yfed(to) Drink
Clywed(to) Hear
Rhedeg(to) Run

With these verbs, you will need to remove the ‘-ed’ / ‘-eg’, and replace them with the correct past tense ending.

For example:
→ Clyw → Clyw + ais i →

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Which verb ending do I use?

The correct verb ending depends on who has done the action:

Singular:

I-ais i
You-aist ti
He-odd o / -odd e
She-odd hi

To name the person doing the action, you will use the following form:
-odd Morgan.

Plural:

We-on ni
You-och chi
They-on nhw

Example:

To change ‘Bwytais i’ (I ate) into ‘They ate’, all you would need to do is swap the verb ending, eg:

→ Bwyt →

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Verbs that need a little extra attention in the past tense

Some verbs don’t follow the patterns we have looked at when changing into their past tense form.

Here are some common verbs to be aware of:

Gweld(to) See →Gwelais i
Dechrau(to) Start →Dechreuais i
Chwarae(to) Play →Chwaraeais i

The good news is, once you have changed one of these verbs into the past tense, to change the person doing the action, all you need to do is swap the past tense ending. Everything else will stay the same!

Example:

To change ‘Mwynheuais i’ (I enjoyed) into ‘They enjoyed’, all you would need to do is swap the verb ending, eg:

→ Mwynheu →

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Macsen and Alys talk about their different hobbies, cycling and playing games.

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Activity: Tap & Find - Gweithgaredd

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Video 3: Organising a quiz - Trefnu cwis

Mia talks about how she likes quizzes and Alys tests her with some difficult questions.

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Flashcards - Cardiau fflach

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Video 4: Discussing Welsh music - Trafod cerddoriaeth Gymraeg

Efan talks about his band playing at a gig, and asks Ayanna if she’s free to come and watch.

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Quiz - Cwis

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