Language/Welsh/Grammar/Personal-Pronouns

◀️ Introducing Yourself — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — To Be and To Have ▶️

Welsh → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Personal Pronouns

Welcome to the lesson on Personal Pronouns in Welsh! As you embark on this journey of learning the Welsh language, understanding personal pronouns is crucial. They form the backbone of communication, allowing you to express who is doing what in a sentence. Whether you're discussing your day, describing your friends, or sharing stories, personal pronouns will be your trusty allies.

In this lesson, we'll cover the following key areas:

What Are Personal Pronouns?

Personal pronouns are words that replace specific nouns in a sentence, making our conversations smoother and more fluid. In Welsh, just like in English, these pronouns change depending on who or what you're referring to.

Here’s a quick rundown of the personal pronouns in Welsh:

I - fi*

You (singular) - ti*

He - ef*

She - hi*

It - fe/hi* (used based on the gender of the noun)

We - ni*

They - nhw*

Let’s dive deeper into these pronouns, their forms, and how to use them in sentences!

Personal Pronouns in Detail

Now, let's break down each personal pronoun, along with examples to illustrate their use in context.

1. I (fi)

• Welsh: fi

• Pronunciation: /vi/

• Usage: Refers to the speaker.

Examples:

Welsh	Pronunciation	English
Fi yw'r athro.	/vi juːr ˈaθro/	I am the teacher.
Fi'n mynd i'r siop.	/vin mɪnd iːr ˈʃop/	I am going to the shop.
Fi'n hoffi coffi.	/vin ˈhɔfi ˈkɔfi/	I like coffee.
Fi'n byw yng Nghymru.	/vin bɪu ɪŋ ˈhəmri/	I live in Wales.

2. You (singular) (ti)

• Welsh: ti

• Pronunciation: /ti/

• Usage: Refers to the person being spoken to, usually in an informal context.

Examples:

Welsh	Pronunciation	English
Ti yw'r myfyriwr.	/ti juːr mɪˈvɪrjʊr/	You are the student.
Ti'n hoffi siocled.	/tiːn ˈhɔfi ˈʃɒklɛd/	You like chocolate.
Ti'n dod gyda fi.	/tiːn dɔd ˈɡɪðə vi/	You are coming with me.
Ti'n mynd i'r gêm.	/tiːn mɪnd iːr ɡɛm/	You are going to the game.

3. He (ef)

• Welsh: ef

• Pronunciation: /ɛv/

• Usage: Refers to a male subject.

Examples:

Welsh	Pronunciation	English
Ef yw'r doctor.	/ɛv juːr ˈdɒktər/	He is the doctor.
Mae ef yn hapus.	/maɪ ɛv ɪn ˈhɑpɪs/	He is happy.
Mae ef yn chwarae pêl-droed.	/maɪ ɛv ɪn ˈχwaːrə pɛlˈdrɔɪd/	He plays football.
Mae ef yn byw yn Abertawe.	/maɪ ɛv ɪn ˈbɪv ɪn ˈaːbərtaʊe/	He lives in Swansea.

4. She (hi)

• Welsh: hi

• Pronunciation: /hi/

• Usage: Refers to a female subject.

Examples:

Welsh	Pronunciation	English
Hi yw'r athrawes.	/hi juːr ˈaθraʊɛs/	She is the teacher (female).
Mae hi'n dysgu Cymraeg.	/maɪ hiːn ˈdɪsɡɪ ˈkʊmraɪɡ/	She is learning Welsh.
Hi'n mwynhau cerddoriaeth.	/hiːn ˈmʊɪnˈhaɪ ˈkɛrðɔrjɛθ/	She enjoys music.
Mae hi'n byw yng Nghymru.	/maɪ hiːn bɪv ɪn ˈhəmri/	She lives in Wales.

5. It (fe/hi)

• Welsh: fe (masculine), hi (feminine)

• Pronunciation: /vɛ/ (masculine), /hi/ (feminine)

• Usage: Refers to objects or animals, gendered according to the noun's gender.

Examples:

Welsh	Pronunciation	English
Mae fe'n eira.	/maɪ vɛn ˈeɪrə/	It is snow.
Mae hi'n sŵn.	/maɪ hɪn suːn/	It is noisy.
Mae fe'n ddŵr.	/maɪ vɛn ðʊr/	It is water.
Mae hi'n flodau.	/maɪ hɪn ˈblɔdaɪ/	It is flowers.

6. We (ni)

• Welsh: ni

• Pronunciation: /ni/

• Usage: Refers to the speaker and one or more others.

Examples:

Welsh	Pronunciation	English
Ni yw'r myfyrwyr.	/ni juːr mɪˈvɪrjʊr/	We are the students.
Ni'n mynd i'r sinema.	/niːn mɪnd iːr sɪˈnɛma/	We are going to the cinema.
Ni'n chwilio am ffrindiau.	/niːn ˈχwɪlɪo æm ˈfrɪndjæɪ/	We are looking for friends.
Ni'n mwynhau cerddoriaeth.	/niːn ˈmʊɪnˈhaɪ ˈkɛrðɔrjɛθ/	We enjoy music.

7. They (nhw)

• Welsh: nhw

• Pronunciation: /nʊ/

• Usage: Refers to multiple people or objects.

Examples:

Welsh	Pronunciation	English
Nhw yw'r plant.	/nʊ juːr plænt/	They are the children.
Mae nhw'n chwarae pêl-fasged.	/maɪ nʊn ˈχwaːrə ˈpɛlˌvæskɛd/	They play basketball.
Mae nhw'n mynd i'r parc.	/maɪ nʊn mɪnd iːr pɑrk/	They are going to the park.
Mae nhw'n hoffi siocled.	/maɪ nʊn ˈhɔfi ˈʃɒklɛd/	They like chocolate.

Summary of Personal Pronouns

To summarize, here is a concise table of the personal pronouns:

Welsh	Pronunciation	English
fi	/vi/	I
ti	/ti/	you (singular)
ef	/ɛv/	he
hi	/hi/	she
fe/hi	/vɛ/ (masc), /hi/ (fem)	it
ni	/ni/	we
nhw	/nʊ/	they

Exercises and Practice Scenarios

Now that you have a grasp on personal pronouns, let's practice what you've learned! Here are ten exercises to reinforce your understanding.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct personal pronoun.

1. _____ (I) am happy.

2. _____ (you, singular) are my friend.

3. _____ (he) is a doctor.

4. _____ (she) likes music.

5. _____ (it) is raining.

6. _____ (we) are going to the park.

7. _____ (they) are playing football.

Answers:

1. Fi

2. Ti

3. Ef

4. Hi

5. Fe/Hi

6. Ni

7. Nhw

Exercise 2: Match the Pronoun to the Sentence

Match each sentence to the correct personal pronoun.

1. _____ is my brother.

2. _____ are my favorite.

3. _____ loves to play.

4. _____ is a beautiful day.

5. _____ are going to the concert.

Options:

a) Ti

b) Ni

c) Ef

d) Fe

e) Nhw

Answers:

1. c) Ef

2. d) Fe

3. a) Ti

4. d) Fe

5. b) Ni

Exercise 3: Translate to Welsh

Translate the following sentences into Welsh.

1. I am a student.

2. You (singular) are a teacher.

3. He loves chocolate.

4. She is from Cardiff.

5. We are going home.

6. They are happy.

Answers:

1. Fi yw'r myfyriwr.

2. Ti yw'r athro.

3. Ef yn hoffi siocled.

4. Hi yw o Gaerdydd.

5. Ni'n mynd adref.

6. Nhw'n hapus.

Exercise 4: Create Sentences

Using the personal pronouns provided, create your own sentences.

1. Fi

2. Ti

3. Ef

4. Hi

5. Ni

6. Nhw

Example Answers:

1. Fi'n mwynhau darllen. (I enjoy reading.)

2. Ti'n hoffi mynd am dro. (You like to go for a walk.)

3. Ef'n chwarae piano. (He plays the piano.)

4. Hi'n gweithio yn y siop. (She works in the shop.)

5. Ni'n edrych ymlaen at y penwythnos. (We look forward to the weekend.)

6. Nhw'n chwarae yn y parc. (They are playing in the park.)

Exercise 5: Pronoun Identification

Read the sentences below and identify the personal pronouns.

1. I love reading books.

2. You are my best friend.

3. He is studying Welsh.

4. She enjoys cooking.

5. We are going on holiday.

6. They are watching a movie.

Answers:

1. I

2. You

3. He

4. She

5. We

6. They

Exercise 6: Fill in the Correct Form

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the personal pronoun.

1. _____ (you, singular) are my hero.

2. _____ (we) are learning.

3. _____ (she) loves her cat.

4. _____ (he) is very tall.

5. _____ (they) are my friends.

Answers:

1. Ti

2. Ni

3. Hi

4. Ef

5. Nhw

Exercise 7: Choose the Right Pronoun

Choose the correct personal pronoun to complete the sentence.

1. _____ am going to the gym. (I/He)

2. _____ are my favorite color. (It/She)

3. _____ is playing outside. (They/We)

4. _____ loves to read. (She/They)

5. _____ are excited for the concert. (We/He)

Answers:

1. I

2. It

3. They

4. She

5. We

Exercise 8: Write Your Own Sentences

Write three sentences using different personal pronouns.

Example Answers:

1. Ef'n mwynhau mynd i'r traeth. (He enjoys going to the beach.)

2. Hi'n hoffi dysgu am hanes. (She likes learning about history.)

3. Ni'n chwarae gêm gyda'n ffrindiau. (We are playing a game with our friends.)

Exercise 9: Sentence Transformation

Change the personal pronoun in the following sentences.

1. I am learning Welsh. → _____ am learning Welsh. (You)

2. She is a doctor. → _____ is a doctor. (He)

3. We are happy. → _____ are happy. (They)

4. He loves pizza. → _____ loves pizza. (She)

5. You are my friend. → _____ are my friend. (I)

Answers:

1. Ti

2. Ef

3. Nhw

4. Hi

5. Fi

Exercise 10: Group Activity

In groups, create a short dialogue using personal pronouns. Take turns speaking and make sure to use at least five different pronouns in your conversation.

Example Dialogue:

A: Fi'n mynd i'r sinema. (I am going to the cinema.)

B: Ti'n mynd gyda fi? (Are you coming with me?)

A: Ni'n mynd gyda nhw hefyd. (We are going with them too.)

B: Mae hi'n hapus am hynny. (She is happy about that.)

A: Ie, mae ef hefyd. (Yes, he is too.)

Congratulations on completing this lesson on personal pronouns! By understanding and using these pronouns, you are one step closer to expressing yourself in Welsh. Keep practicing, and soon enough, you'll find yourself weaving them seamlessly into your conversations!

Table of Contents - Welsh Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Pronouns and Verbs

• Personal Pronouns
• To Be and To Have

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-10
• Telling Time

  ---

Questions and Negation

• Question Words
• Negation

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Describing People
• Describing Actions

  ---

Food and Drink

• Common Foods
• Eating and Drinking

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Using Prepositions
• Using Conjunctions

  ---

Welsh Traditions and Celebrations

• Holidays and Festivals
• Traditional Music and Dance

  ---

Hobbies and Leisure

• Common Hobbies
• Leisure Activities

  ---

Present Continuous and Future

• Present Continuous Tense
• Talking About the Future

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Welsh Literature and History

• Famous Welsh Writers
• Welsh History

Sources

• Welsh/Grammar/Pronouns - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
• Colloquial Welsh morphology - Wikipedia
• Personal Pronouns in Welsh (fi, ni; ti, chwi; ef, hi, hwÿ)

Other Lessons

• Conditional Mood
• Using Conjunctions
• Questions
• 0 to A1 Course
• How to Use Be
• Question Words
• The article
• Future Tense
• Pronouns

◀️ Introducing Yourself — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — To Be and To Have ▶️