Please explain the difference in meaning between:
- O’n i’n moyn,
- Dw i wedi moyn.
Diolch,
Marilyn
The first means “I wanted” or “I was wanting”, the second “I have wanted”
1 Like
A, ja … I have special problems with those because we in Slovene don’t have so many forms of past tense and I don’t use those form many times even in English. Sometimes I struggle with meaning of them in both - English and Cymraeg for that matter.
You’re doing new course @MarilynHames, right? Stick with it because if you’d go through the old material you’d be taught one more past tense and that is Wnes i mwyn = “I wanted”. Well if you’re doing Southern course I wouldn’t be surprised if at one point we’d be taught shortening for this - something like "moyesi or "moynesi - hehe
Hmmm, now I actually wonder: if there’s “joyesi” (I enjoyed) why there couldn’t be "moynesi or "moyesi? Does it exist @Iestyn. (Pardon me, I’m just curiously brainstorming.)
Brilliant–I get it, thank you!
Good advice Tajana–phew. And thank you for your advice on “cheers”. I’ve been away and out of contact for a week, hence the silence.
Diolch yn fawr,
Marilyn
1 Like
Well, you “meet” “wnes i” somewhere in new course occassionally but it’s not as often that it would really confuse you though.
I hope you had good time out there where you were.
Hwyl!
Tatjana
Strictly, how does “wnes i moyn” translate? I did want? Or does it also mean “I wanted?”
I’m only a learner, too, and might be wrong, but from what I heard and read " I wanted " is always translated with : “On i’n moyn”, maybe Welsh thinks this to a state of mind or something, that lasts longer.
I never heard or read " wnes i moyn" ( and: after "wnes i " the next word should be mutated, but “wnes i foyn” sounds really strange)
3 Likes
"Wnes i" vs. "On i’n"
In general, wnes i indicates a something that happened a moment in time, whereas on i’n is the past continuous. That is an ongoing situation. For example, I drank the milk would be Wnes i yfed llaeth. It was a once and done event. Something like ‘wanting’ is usually an ongoing emotion so, on i’n would be used.
2 Likes
[quote=“craigf, post:10, topic:3644”] “On i’n”
[/quote]
I always though it was Wn i’n. rather than On i’n. Comment anyone??
I verified with my dictionary. It’s technically o’n i’n, shortened from [r]oeddwn i’n.
2 Likes
Diolch yn fawr!! All these years I’ve been totally wrong!! I am left unsure of the real meaning of a lot!! ‘Wn i’ (I know), maybe it is ‘On i’ (I knew)??? @aran ideas?
1 Like
I think it strictly translates as ‘did want’ but I don’t think it is strictly equivalent to the English as you wouldn’t normally say ‘I did want’ in English unless you were trying to emphasize it (I did want) (eg. ‘I did want it, but now I don’t’) so Brigette’s & craigf’s explanation is probably more useful
2 Likes
“Wnes i foyn (moyn)” sounds strange to me too and moyn isn’t too good example, but since @MarilynHames started with it I just continued but what I REALLY WANTED here is a bit of brainstorming and doing some explaining on past tense. Slovenians only use one (as I’ve said for about 1,000,000 times now already) at least in colloquial language and so many times I don’t use more then one even in English (what I choose very much depends on what it sounds more natural and for that matter right to me though.
(my aim was acheaved. 
)
English used to use ‘did’ more. In Shakespeare, ‘did’ is used as such without the implied emphasis.
It’s rather interesting that young English children sometimes naturally use “did” in that way, until they eventually learn the “proper” way. They are finding their way through the minefield of language and making sense of it in the best way they can.
2 Likes
Plenty of adult speakers round here commonly use “did” like that, without implying an emphasis or using a negative. It’s a notable feature of some Welsh dialects of EnglIsh.
Helped to get my head round the “two ways of saying the same past tense” business in Welsh, as I was used to hearing something very similar in English!
2 Likes
Thank you one and all–I have learned a great deal from the history, literary and grammar lessons you have offered, as well as first-hand knowledge of common usage.
As a newbie here, please forgive me if I raise questions that have been thrashed out many times. You are all most helpful and patient. Oh, and about the mutation–good reminder–101 things to think abut, but it is great!, keeps this little grey cells on their toes 
All the best,
Marilyn
5 Likes
Hi Marilyn, and welcome.
You’ve had some pretty comprehensive answers, so I don;t need to explain anything grammatical! The only things I will say are 1) that you’ll never be misunderstood using the “wrong” past tense, so don;t be at all concerned if you’re not 100% sure about which to use, especially in real conversation, where you can just plough on through and no-one will remember whether you were grammatical or not, and 2) as a newby (and when you’re more experienced), the only thing we won;t forgive is not asking questions about things that are bothering you!
It’s worth keeping an eye on the box that comes up when you start your post which says something like “similar posts to yours”. Sometimes that will throw up the exact same subject that you are asking about. However, you can be certain that if you have a question, there will be other people less brave who have the same question, and by asking it, you will be helping other learners / new speakers to get to grips with the petty annoyances that can grow so easily to become “I can;t do that” monsters.
So, it looks like you’ve got off to a really good start - keep it up, and enjoy both your new language, and the absolutely lovely community that we have here on our forum.
1 Like