I wanted to work out a statement to introduce myself at the Canolfan in our village and came up with the following statement myself:
‘Maen fy enw Robert a dw i wedi bwy yn Heol Berwyn ers Medi 2018. Weinidog Methodistaidd wedi ymddeol dw i.’
As I often do I checked it out with Google Translate (I know, it’s rubbish for Welsh, but better than ‘nothing’ 
)
When I did a reverse translate it came up with the following:
‘Fy enw i yw Robert ac rydw i wedi byw yn Heol Berwyn ers mis Medi 2018. Rwy’n weinidog gyda’r Methodistiaid wedi ymddeol.’
Now I recognise that Google speaks Southern Welsh and that I am a Gog but the first bit seems very different to what I thought and the second sentence just ‘different’.
Can anyone offer any comments, suggestions or corrections to either so I don’t look stupid when I speak to my fellow villagers? (PS I’m on challenge 14, so just a ‘newbie’ really (and yes, that is an excuse)).
Thanks in anticipation,
Robert
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Hi Robert 
Firstly, your own statement is not far off - you would certainly be understood.
Secondly, as is often the case, there is more than one way to say the same thing - this can be a difference in dialect, a difference in emphasis or a difference in formality, to name but three. In the case of the differences between your statement and the Google translation, it’s a matter of a couple of grammatical tweaks and formality rather than a North/South thing.
So, to try and iron the differences out a bit for you, “My name is Robert” can be said “Fy enw i yw Robert” or you’ll also come across “Robert yw fy enw i”.
In your statement, maen is the plural form used with ‘they’, but in this construction (whichever way round you say it) you don’t need a mae at all because it is replaced with “yw” - a different form of “bod” meaning “is”. Don’t worry - as you go through the course, you’ll pick up when to use “mae” or “yw” because they’ll just start to sound right
In the next bit, “a dwi’n” is simply a less formal spoken version of “ac rydw i” and is perfectly fine.
In the last bit, the difference is because Google is using the more formal “ryw’n” and presenting it as a straightforward statement, whereas your one is using the more commonly spoken “dw i” and making an emphasis on your former occupation rather than being a plain statement, but yours is just as correct as Google’s!
To be honest, apart from the tiny grammatical slip in the first bit, and although Google is technically correct, your statement sounds much more natural than the Google one, and as I said, even as it stands, you’d be understood and would certainly not sound stupid because you are still in the process of learning (and doing very well by the look of it!), so I’m sure your fellow villagers would be more than willing to overlook such tiny mis-constructions and absolutely chuffed that you have come so far already 
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Diolch yn fawr @siaronjames! I just love the challenges! Sometimes (as with 12, 13 and 14 they just ‘knock you socks off’ but I find that slowly (and it’s a delay of about 3 challenges) the material does sink in and becomes more understandable and ‘normal’. So, I’ll keep at it.
By the way, the locals in my village have all been very supportive and helpful - and they are definitely impressed by my progress over such a short time (100 days today!). What they find really puzzling is why I don’t go to ‘classes’! I guess we all know why! 
It’s very kind of you to explain so clearly and such a quick response - what a wonderful community SSiW is. Thanks again (Diolch eto!).
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