The difference is in the condition, whether it is a possibility or an irreality (sometimes also called “open” or “closed” conditionals). If the condition is possible to fulfill (“open”), you use os and the indicative (which here would be wyt, which is often omitted). But if the conditions is impossible or at least highly unlikely, you use pe instead. (And “pe” is “built-in” in taswn and the likes).
Thank you once again Hendrik.
I think most of the patterns I’ve seen so far have a conditional / tasen pairing so I was fooled into thinking that was a “rule”. I had not picked upon the more subtle distinction of using “os” if the condition was possible to fulfill. I would add however, that judging the degree of “possibility” of an event seems an art. I’ve chosen (correctly it seems) the “tas” form for events which in my opinion have a reasonable chance of coming to pass and SSIW agrees. Maybe I’m a better gambler than learner ![]()
Yes, it looks like that has infiltrated from the northern course ![]()
Anyone have a suggested translation for the English idiom ‘cooped up’?
The context is translating a kids story: “I bet you’re so bored in there, all cooped up in your cave.”
Trying something based on “stuck inside” tends to leads to phrases involving ‘sownd’ or ‘ffast’ which doesn’t seem right because it implies being physically stuck there! And google translate gives “wedi’i gloi i mewn” which reverse-translates as “locked inside” which doesn’t seem right either.
Would something like “wedi gwasgu i mewn” work?
Thanks ![]()
I would probably go with the verb cyfyngu, which is ‘restricted’/‘confined’ - wedi cyfyngu yn dy ogof
Amazing - diolch o galon!
I call my wife “Lovely lady” about 20 times a day, but Google Translate is giving me too many options.
Does “Foneddiges Hyfryd” sound natural, or is there a nicer option? “wraig hyfryd” sounds a bit off to me!
I’d use dynes (N) or menyw (S) or even merch here. Foneddiges sounds too formal (posh!)
Quick question about noun gender: If you’re specifically learning noun gender and the dictionary says that a noun can be either masculine or feminine, which do you learn? Do you just run with it being masculine to reduce the amount of effort involved? Do you learn it as feminine in case you run into a feminine version in the wild?
I try and listen out for what people around me use, and use that gender although obviously that’s more difficult if you’re not in a Welsh-speaking area.
Also, bear in mind that GPC puts gb if it’s more commonly masculine (gwrywaidd first) and bg if it’s more commonly feminine. (Apologies if you’re already well aware, but it might still help others.)
So, in a situation where I have to make a single choice, going with the GPC’s most favoured option would be fair?
I think so, unless you’re in a Welsh-speaking milieu, where I’d trust @siaronjames’s advice.
This is for an online resource, so people will have to figure out local usage themselves.
In that case I would see if I could match consistency - if you are using northern words elsewhere, go with the gender more commonly used in the north, and if you’re using southern forms, use the southern gender.
How would you work out which is preferred where?
GPC will usually say when there are regional variations.
OK, thanks.
When answering questions and echoing the verb, I know it’s na for the negative, but is it ever nac if the verb begins with a vowel? I know it doesn’t become nac if soft mutation gets rid of a G, e.e. Gwnaf / Na wnaf, but what about otherwise? Af / Na af or Af / nac af?
(I bet this is covered in the Old Course. I really had intended to have done it by now. Oops. Maybe if it is, someone could tell me in which lesson to expect it?)
Yes - just think of “nac ydw” - but also bear in mind that in some dialects the c will come out as a g (nag ydw)