I said, I told etc

Welsh General / Questions
#1

Hi, I’m getting myself confused about difference between ‘I said’ and ‘I told’ and when to say ‘ddudes i’ Or nes i ddeud’ - is there are difference? Can anyone help? Diolch yn fawr

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#2

Hi Mandi,
I think ddywedes i and nes i ddweud mean the same thing - I said.
To make it into I told, you need to add ‘wrth’ at the end. Eg Ddywedes i wrthi hi - I told her.

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#3

Diolch, that makes complete sense, thanks for clear answer. Have a great day!

#4

And to add to what Emma said, I think in English that “to say” and “to tell” mean essentially the same thing, but in English, we optionally use prepositions to specify the meaning more closely.

So I can say something (to myself even), or I can say something to someone.
I can tell something to someone, or I can just tell someone something.

Seems like it’s similar in Welsh, but perhaps the preposition is less optional if someone else is involved.

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#5

But I think (ddy)wedes i (etc) is more the choice when it’s tagged on after quoted speech:

’Cer o ‘ma!’ wedes i.
‘Clear off!’ I said.

Otherwise yes - there’s no real difference between the preterite I and preterite II.

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#6

Thanks, that’s useful, Mandy

#7

Thanks, it all helps! Mandy

#8

Thanks, Gareth. I didn’t know that.

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#9

Welsh has no indirect object, so you need a preposition where in English you could say things like:
I gave him bread, I told him a story - the ‘him’ here is the indirect object, so
Wnes i roi bara iddo fo, dywedais i stori wrtho fo

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#10

Diolch