Noswaith dda. I’m finding the blue belt level very hard and I’m unsure how to proceed. It’s not just a case of making mistakes or forgetting words or phrases, I’m fine with that, but there have been several sentences where I’ve simply been unable to say anything at all. I recognise some individual words of course, but there’s no way I can construct the sentence in Welsh.
So there’s a big gap when I don’t speak while I wait for the presenters to speak.
Also, there doesn’t seem to be any logic to the way wnes i ddim and do’n i ddim are used. Are they interchangable? Do they mean the same thing? I’ve no idea which one to use and invariably get it wrong.
So far, I haven’t used the revisit button. Should I use the revisit button or simply let the course carry on? Ironically, the male presenter has said a few times lately to jump ahead in the course if you’re finding it too easy. I wish!
The difference between Gwnes i / wnes i ddim and O’n i / do’n i ddim is basically the difference between I did / didn’t and I was / wasn’t. If you’re speaking of a completed action, use Gwnes i / wnes i ddim. If you’re speaking more of a state of being, use O’n i / do’n i ddim.
For example, thinking is (hopefully) something which is continuous, so we say O’n i’n meddwl, I was thinking. Gwnes i feddwl sounds like I started and then stopped thinking, doing it for a discrete period of time, which is just… odd, in Welsh.
If there’s a lot of content you’ve somehow skipped, that may actually be an app error. So if it’s too much to just “roll with it” until you figure it out, by all means go back until where those words/constructions were first introduced. But if you can muddle through, that can be beneficial, proving to yourself that you can work these things out with a little time and effort. Treat it as the app somewhat rudely pressing the skip button without permission.
Basically it depends how big the gap is and how hard you’re finding it.
Thanks very much for the reply. I can’t say I fully understand, but at least I’m less confused. “I didn’t go to the bank” would be “Wnes i ddim yn mynd i’r banc” (not sure if yn should be in there). Wnes i ddim because its a completed action.
If it makes you feel any better, I’m roughly in the exact same point in the course as you and I’m having the same struggle. Up until this point, it really was almost too easy; I was getting everything right and still had plenty of time left on the timer. However, when I hit the “wnes i ddim” vs. “d’on i ddim” and all of the material with “mae’n o” and “beddai fo” it was like hitting a brick wall. It is starting to clear up, but it was pretty discouraging for a while. Hang in there! We’ll make it through!
Thanks Michael, that helps a lot. I had a very similar experience to you and got very little wrong up to this point. I’m a bit embarrassed to say I cancelled my subscription thinking Welsh was too hard for me, but I’m missing the thirty minutes I did most evenings and the feeling of accomplishment. Best of luck.
Oh no! Don’t give up on yourself. Remember, it often feels hardest right before you make a breakthrough.
If you really want to take a break from your subscription, I’d recommend downloading the old Challenge and Lesson files while you still have access, so you can still plug away at your Welsh here and there.
It’s very, very common in language learning to have times when it all seems to sail along quite easily, and other times where it feels impossible and you’re not getting anywhere.
The first thing is to look back. Did you know as much Welsh as you do now 12 months ago? If you’ve been using the app, or learning with us in any way, you will have learnt something - so that’s a good sign!
Then you just need to remember that some words and structures take longer to be assimilated. Your subconscious will be tucking away bits of information about the Welsh that you’re being exposed to, even if you’re not aware of it. You might not be able to recall immediately what the Welsh word is for something, but you’ll have a feeling - maybe what letter it starts with, whether it’s a one-syllable word or much longer, that kind of thing. It shows that your brain IS learning, even if you don’t feel you’re making as much progress as you’d like.
It happens to everyone! So try not to get discouraged or beat yourself up. Just remember that there is learning happening, even if you’re not aware of it, and give yourself more time. If you hit a patch that you find really hard, e.g. you’re struggling to get any Welsh out at all, you can use the Pause to give yourself more time, you can use the Revisit to go back a little, and if you really, really feel like you need it, you can set yourself back to the beginning of the Belt Colour when you reach the end and have another run through. You just might be surprised if you do that
Thanks Deborah, that helps a lot as well. I wish I’d read that before starting. I hope I’m not coming across as an attention seeker because that’s not my motive at all.
Not at all. This is what the forum is for - to help each other out when we have questions or get stuck. I’d call it seeking connection. Learning a language is a big challenge, so it’s easier with community.
Whatever your trouble is, someone on here has been there and knows some tricks to get you through. Usually several someones. If you dig through historical posts, you will see many “Help!” and “Woe is me!” type posts. You are far from alone!
Croeso @steve-68! As Verity says, that’s what we’re here for. Have you considered joining the SSiW Community Chat Slack group where you can also take part in online partner and group chats? That could help you.
Everyone with a subscription (either a paid individual one, or through Dysgu Cymraeg or Work-based Learning) is entitled to join. You just need to request an invitation from admin@saysomethingin.com
I think this part corresponds to mid level 1 in challenges? I hit this place recently, yes, it does feel like a steep step. I’m considering taking a pause to read some grammar.
The difference between wnes i ddim and do’n i ddim is one that confuses almost all learners initially, and often the secret is to just say the one you think, make a mental note when it comes back differently, say it softly along with the second speaker to help get used to how it feels, and carry on. The more you hear it, the more familiar it becomes, and eventually it feels natural to you. You might not be able to explain why it’s right, but it ‘sounds’ right to you - just like a native speaker.
However, with it being a frequent question, there are quite a few threads on the forum you might find useful. Here are a few:
This is interesting. Is there a way to grammatically differentiate between prolonged, say, not understanding (as in listening to several hours of foreign speech) and the event of not understanding a specific point?
With ‘understanding’ as a specific case, yes - you can say do’n i ddim yn deall/dallt as a general lack of understanding in the past, but if you’re referring to a specfic moment, e.g. someone tried to explain something to you, but you didn’t understand what they were saying at that moment, you can say mae’n ddrwg ‘da fi, nes i ddim deall/dallt be’ ddwedest/ddudest ti
If you dig through historical posts, you will see many “Help!” and “Woe is me!” type posts. You are far from alone!
