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Dylwn – I should, I ought to (S)

There are two ways of saying should or ought to (which are treated as conceptually the same) in Welsh, using dylwn (south) and dylswn (north). It’s best to be aware of both, and let local usage dictate which one you use.

Do not use yn, and following verbnouns such as coginio, to cook, will take soft mutation in the affirmative and interrogative, but do not mutate after dim. Dylwn is sometimes used with the affirmative particle fe which causes soft mutation.

Affirmative

EnglishWelshAlternativeExamples
I should, I ought todylwn ife ddylwn idylwn i goginio
you should, you ought todylet tife ddylet tidylet ti goginio
he should, he ought todylai fefe ddylai fedylai fe goginio
she should, she ought todylai hife ddylai hidylai hi goginio
Carys should, Carys ought todylai Carysfe ddylai Carysdylai Carys goginio
the girls should, the girls ought todylai’r merchedfe ddylai’r mercheddylai’r merched goginio
we should, we ought todylen nife ddylen nidylen ni goginio
you should, you ought todylech chife ddylech chidylech chi goginio
they should, they ought todylen nhwfe ddylen nhwdylen nhw goginio

Interrogative

EnglishWelshAlternativeExamples
should I? ought I?ddylwn i?ddylwn i goginio?
should you? ought you?ddylet ti?ddylet ti goginio?
should he? ought he?ddylai fe?ddylai fe goginio?
should she? ought she?ddylai hi?ddylai hi goginio?
should Carys? ought Carys?ddylai Carys?ddylai Carys goginio?
should the girls? ought the girls?ddylai’r merched?ddylai’r merched goginio?
should we? ought we?ddylen ni?ddylen ni goginio?
should you? ought you?ddylech chi?ddylech chi goginio?
should they? ought they?ddylen nhw?ddylen nhw goginio?

Negative

EnglishWelshAlternativeExamples
I should not, I ought notddylwn i ddimddylwn i ddim coginio
you should not, you ought notddylet ti ddimddylet ti ddim coginio
he should not, he ought notddylai fe ddimddylai fe ddim coginio
she should not, she ought notddylai hi ddimddylai hi ddim coginio
Carys should not, Carys ought notddylai Carys ddimddylai Carys ddim coginio
the girls should not, the girls ought notddylai’r merched ddimddylai’r merched ddim coginio
we should not, we ought notddylen ni ddimddylen ni ddim coginio
you should not, you ought notddylech chi ddimddylech chi ddim coginio
they should not, they ought notddylen nhw ddimddylen nhw ddim coginio
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