How to Say Yes and No in Welsh

Present tense (Bod)

For questions built with present-tense bod, choose the short reply that fits the person answering. In everyday northern Welsh, you will also hear statements such as dw i’n dysgu (I’m learning) and da ni’n dysgu (we’re learning). The full question forms below make the reply pattern easier to see.

Imperfect tense (Bod)

Use these replies when the question starts with an imperfect form of bod: was, were or used to be. The verb in the question controls the reply, even though English puts both “Was…?” and “Did…?” in the past.

Future tense (Bod)

Questions with fydd- take a bydd- reply for yes and na fydd- for no. Keep the person ending: a question about “you” needs an answer about “I” or “we”, depending on who is replying.

Conditional tense (Bod)

These are the northern Baswn / Baset / Basai / Basen / Basech forms for “would”. Questions below use the soft-mutated f- initial, as in Faset ti…? Yes replies start with b-; no replies use na f-. The reference article prints its questions with b-; the f- question spelling here follows Dysgu Cymraeg’s teaching guidance.

Perfect tense (Bod)

With present-tense bod followed by wedi, the replies can use the same person forms as the present tense. In northern Welsh, Do / Naddo is also an alternative for every question in this chart. It is an alternative reply pattern, not a change to the question.

Indefinite (Oes / Nac oes)

Use Oes / Nac oes for an existence question introduced by Oes. There is no person ending to swap in these replies. This pattern is different from asking about a particular person with Ydy…?

Emphatic (Ia / Naci / Nage)

When the question singles out an identity or a particular piece of information, the northern reply can be Ia for yes and Naci for no; Nage is another no form listed in the reference. Both subject-focus and identification examples appear below. Do not turn this into a rule that every question beginning without a verb takes Ia: focus and sentence structure matter.

Past tense (Do / Naddo)

For completed-action questions using a simple past verb, Do and Naddo work without changing for the person. This includes past questions with gwneud as a helper. Keep this separate from the imperfect bod chart: Oedd…? still takes Oedd / Nac oedd.

Future tense (Gwneud)

Here gwneud is the helper used to ask whether someone will do an action. The questions use spoken contractions; the replies give the fuller forms requested in the reference. Distinguish these from fydd- questions: the reply follows the helper actually used.

Welsh Yes & No: quick reference

Choose the reply for the person answering. Questions about “I” get “you” replies; questions addressed to “you” get “I” or “we” replies. A “we” question may receive a “you” or “we” reply depending on who is included.

Yes is shown first, then no. This sheet collects the reply forms; use the full charts above to match them to a question.

Do / Naddo covers the simple-past action pattern here and is also a northern alternative for the perfect chart. It does not replace the imperfect bod replies.

The Bald Welsh Teacher · baldwelshteacher.com