Hi, I’m new to SSi but finding the approach really useful as I’ve learned more through the app in 3 weeks than I did for GCSE…
I have 2 questions around the use of ‘gyda fi’
I was taught things like ‘mae pen tost gyda fi’ (I’ve got a headache) where it means ‘I have’ but in the SSi lessons ‘m’ gyda fi’ is used at the start of a sentence.
- Can anyone explain if this is a different use of the phrase or just because its spoken and not written?
- Also, what is the negative of ‘m’gyda fi’?
Many thanks,
Andrew
2 Likes
Hi Andrew and welcome to the SSiW community 
The SSiW courses include lots of variants for phrases because that’s what you come across “in the wild”, so yes, you’ll hear “mae x gyda fi” as well as “mae gyda fi x”. Because SSiW is primarily a spoken Welsh course, you’ll also hear things that sound a bit different to what you would expect from seeing them written down - like when the mae sometimes shortens to ma, (or even m!) and gyda will often shorten to 'da. They are all equally valid, so use whichever you’re used to/whichever gets to your tongue first, but at least you’ll be used to the other forms if you hear them.
The negative is “does dim x gyda fi” - or written as often spoken, 'sdim x 'da fi.
Pob lwc with the course - sounds like you’re off to a flying start
2 Likes
Hi Siaron,
Thanks for your prompt reply and explanation. I’ll just say what comes to my head first as you say. Out of interest, would a structure like the following ever be used for the negative - ‘does dim gyda fi x’ /‘sdim da fi x’?
Andrew
2 Likes
To be honest my Southern Welsh is a little rusty (I started with Southern but have been an adopted Gog for a long time now!), so I’d say it’s quite possible that you’d hear it that way round too, but maybe someone more used to the Southern constructions will be able to tell you more.
1 Like
Yes, when you get to Level 2, you’ll hear it used like that - “Sdim 'da ni blant” - we don’t have children.
4 Likes
Thanks Dee! I look forward to starting level 2 next week.
2 Likes