Its never
easy getting your head round all the prepositions, especially
as usage isnt always identical as in English. Here we
take a look at the more common prepositions that youre
likely to meet in everyday conversation. Note that some prepositions
cause mutation of the following word - this will be denoted
by [sm] for Soft Mutation, [nm] for Nasal Mutation, and [am]
for Aspirate Mutation.
By the way, an easy way to remember which prepositions take
Soft Mutations is to memorise this little poem:
am ar at gan
heb i o dan
dros trwy wrth hyd
about |
|
-
approximately |
= tua [am] |
-
concerning |
=
am [sm] |
|
=
yngly^n â [sm] |
|
=
ynghylch |
-
around |
=
o gwmpas |
|
=
o angylch |
-
about to (do something) |
=
ar fin |
|
=
ar |
|
|
as |
|
-
general usage |
=
fel |
e.g.
she has a job as a secretary |
|
-
when, in the form of |
=
yn |
e.g.
he lived in Abertawe as a teenager |
|
she
bought the plant as a present |
|
|
|
at |
|
-
location |
=
yn [nm] cf. 'in' |
-
beside |
=
wrth |
-
time |
=
am [sm] |
-
age |
=
yn [sm] |
|
|
by |
|
-
location |
=
wrth |
|
=
wrth ochor |
|
=
wrth ochr |
|
=
wrth ymyl |
-
past |
=
heibio |
-
by (someone or something) |
=
gan |
-
by means of |
=
â [nm] |
-
author, etc. |
=
gan |
-
method |
=
drwy [sm] |
|
=
tryw [sm] |
-
transportation |
=
ar [sm] |
|
=
gyda [nm] |
-
time |
=
erbyn |
|
|
for |
|
-
general usage |
=
i [sm] (in the sense of something received) |
|
=
ar gyfer (in the sense of 'for the benefit of') |
-
in favour of |
=
o blaid |
-
on behalf of |
=
dros [sm] |
-
at a future time |
=
am [sm] |
-
at some past time |
=
ers |
-in
exchange for |
=
am [sm] |
-
in preparation for |
=
at [ sm] |
|
=
ar gyfer |
|
|
from |
|
-
direction |
=
o [sm] |
-
in letters |
=
oddi wrth [sm] |
|
=
oddiwrth [sm] |
-
from on top of something |
=
oddiar [sm] |
|
=
oddi ar [sm] |
-
receipt of money, etc |
=
gan |
-
with words like 'prevent', 'stop' |
=
rhag |
|
|
in |
|
-
specific |
=
yn [nm] |
-
non-specific |
=
mewn |
-
at the end of a period of time |
=
ymhen |
|
|
of |
|
-
genitive phrases, e.g. top of the mountain |
=
not translated |
-
quantity |
=
o [sm] |
-
in singling something out |
=
o [sm] |
-
about, concerning |
=
am |
|
|
on
|
|
-
location |
=
ar [sm] |
-
talking about transport |
=
ar [sm] |
-
in media, e.g. television |
=
ar [sm] |
-
about |
=
am [sm] |
-
time |
=
ar [sm] |
|
|
over |
|
-
location or motion |
=
dros |
-
in excess of |
=
dros |
-
during |
=
yn ystod |
|
=
dros |
-
above |
=
uwchben |
-
covering |
=
dros |
|
|
to
|
|
-
general usages |
=
i [sm] |
-
in telling the time |
=
i [sm] |
-
writing or sending something to someone = at [sm] |
|
-
with some verbs/adjectives |
=
wrth |
-
towards |
=
tua [nm] |
-
with verbnouns implying purpose |
=
i [sm] |
-
in order to |
=
er mwyn |
-
with verbnouns implying instruction |
=
am [sm] |
-
with infinitives |
=
not translated |
|
|
under |
|
-
location |
=
dan [sm] |
|
=
o dan [sm] |
-
less than |
=
llai na [nm] |
|
|
with |
|
-
general usage |
=
gyda (= 'da) [am] |
|
=
efo (Northern variant) |
-
by means of |
=
â [am] |
-
because of |
=
gan [sm] |
-
against |
=
yn erbyn |
-
to be ... with someone |
=
wrth [sm] |