Language/Welsh/Grammar/Negation

Welsh Grammar - Negation

Hi Welsh learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about negation, which is the process of denying or negating a statement in Welsh using negative words. It's important to master negation as it will help you express what you don't want or what you're not doing. We will cover the negative particles "dimm" and "na", as well as the negative pronouns and adverbs. But before we dive into the grammar, let's first learn some cultural information about negation in Welsh.

Welsh culture sees negation as a polite way to express things without offending others, especially when refusing invitations or turning down offers. For example, if someone offers you a drink and you don't want one, it's polite to say "na, diolch" (no, thank you) rather than directly refusing by saying "I don't want one". Additionally, knowing how to negate a sentence or proposition can come in handy in social situations, allowing you to clearly express yourself without seeming rude or too direct.

Now that we've learned about the cultural aspect of negation, let's move on to the grammar.

After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Plurals, How to Use Be & How to Use Have.

Negative Particles

In Welsh, there are two main negative particles: "dimm" and "na".

Dimm

"Dimm" is used to negate a verb in Welsh. It is equivalent to "not" in English. Here are some examples:

Welsh	Pronunciation	English
Dw i ddim yn hoffi te	/du i ðɪm ən hɔfɪ tɛ/	I do not like tea
Mae hi ddim yn yr ystafell	/maɪ hi ðɪm ən ər əsˈtafɛɬ/	She is not in the room
Dw i ddim yn mynd allan heno	/du i ðɪm ən mɪnd ˈaɬan ˈhɛnɔ/	I am not going out tonight

Notice how "dimm" comes before the verb and it is not separated by any auxiliary verb as in English.

Na

"Na" is used to negate nouns and adjectives in Welsh. It is similar to "not a" in English. Here are some examples:

Welsh	Pronunciation	English
Dw i'n hoffi car du, ond mae'r naill ar gael	/du iːn hɔfɪ kar diː, ɔnd maɪr naiɬ ar gaɪl/	I like the black car, but the other one is not available
Dwi'n moyn bwyta cig, ond does dim rhai yma	/dwɪn moin bʊɪta kɪɡ, ɔnd dɔs dɪm rhaɪ əma/	I want to eat meat, but there's not any here

In both of these examples, "na" is used before the noun or adjective to state that the object or quality is not present.

Negative Pronouns and Adverbs

In Welsh, there are three negative pronouns: "dim", "un", and "llawer o'r".

• "Dim" means "none" or "not any" and is used with singular and plural nouns. Here is an example:

Welsh	Pronunciation	English
Mae dim cig ar gael	/maɪ ðɪm kɪɡ ar gaɪl/	There is no meat available

• "Un" means "not a single" and is used with singular nouns only. Here's an example:

Welsh	Pronunciation	English
Dwi'n moyn pryd unwaith eto	/dwɪn moin prɪd ˈənwaiθ ˈɛtɔ/	I want not a single meal again

• "Llawer o'r" means "not many" and is used with plural nouns. Here's an example:

Welsh	Pronunciation	English
Mae llawer o'r bobl yn anhapus	/maɪ ˈɬaʊɛr ɔr ˈpɔbl ən anˈhappɪs/	Many people are unhappy

There are also negative adverbs in Welsh, which convey the idea of "not yet" and "not anymore".

• "Heb" means "without" or "not yet". Here's an example:

Welsh	Pronunciation	English
Dw i heb hoffi sushi eto	/du i ˈhɛb ˈhɔfɪ ˈsuʃi ˈɛtɔ/	I don't like sushi yet

• "Ddim yn fwy" means "no longer" or "not anymore". Here's an example:

Welsh	Pronunciation	English
Dw i ddim yn fwy yn mynd i'r gwaith ar y Sul	/du i ðɪm ən vəʊɨn mɪnd ɪr ɡwaɪθ ar ə sɪl/	I no longer go to work on Sundays

Dialogue

To help you better understand the usage of negation, let's have a dialogue:

• Person 1: Dych chi'n hoffi coffi? (/dʌχ xiːn hɔfɪ ˈkɔfi/ - Do you like coffee?)
• Person 2: No, dw i ddim yn hoffi coffi. (/no, du i ðɪm ən ˈhɔfɪ ˈkɔfi/ - No, I don't like coffee)

Conclusion

Now that you've learned about negation in Welsh, it's time to practice! Use Find native speakers and ask them any questions you may have to improve your language skills. Remember that mastering negation will allow you to express yourself more clearly in social situations. For more information about Welsh Grammar, visit the Grammar page. Diolch am ddarllen! (Thanks for reading!)

---

➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Clause Types and Negative Preverbal Particles in Informal Welsh
• Welsh Grammar | LEARN101.ORG

Other Lessons

• Adjectives
• Future Tense
• Questions
• How to Use Have
• Plurals
• How to Use Be
• Give your Opinion
• Conditional Mood
• Pronouns

Table of Contents - Welsh Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Pronouns and Verbs

• Personal Pronouns
• To Be and To Have

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-10
• Telling Time

  ---

Questions and Negation

• Question Words
• Negation

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Describing People
• Describing Actions

  ---

Food and Drink

• Common Foods
• Eating and Drinking

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Using Prepositions
• Using Conjunctions

  ---

Welsh Traditions and Celebrations

• Holidays and Festivals
• Traditional Music and Dance

  ---

Hobbies and Leisure

• Common Hobbies
• Leisure Activities

  ---

Present Continuous and Future

• Present Continuous Tense
• Talking About the Future

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Welsh Literature and History

• Famous Welsh Writers
• Welsh History