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Gallu – I can (S)

There are two ways of saying can in Welsh, using gallu (south) and medru (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 cofio, to remember, will take soft mutation in the affirmative and interrogative, but do not mutate after dim. Gallu is sometimes used with the affirmative particle fe which causes soft mutation.

Affirmative

EnglishWelshAlternativeExamples
I cangalla ife alla igalla i gofio
you cangalli/gelli dife alli/elli digalli di gofio
he cangall efe all egall e gofio
she cangall hife all higall hi gofio
Carys cangall Carysfe all Carysgall Carys gofio
the girls cangall y merchedfe all y merchedgall y merched gofio
we cangallwn nife allwn nigallwn ni gofio
you cangallwch/gellwch chife allwch/ellwch chigallwch chi gofio
they cangallan nhwfe allan nhwgallan nhw gofio

Interrogative

EnglishWelshAlternativeExamples
can I?alla i?alla i gofio?
can you?alli/elli di?alli/elli di gofio?
can he?all e?all e gofio?
can she?all hi?all hi gofio?
can Carys?all Carys?all Carys gofio?
can the girls?all y merched?all y merched gofio?
can we?allwn ni?allwn ni gofio?
can you?allwch/ellwch chi?allwch/ellwch chi gofio?
can they?allan nhw?allan nhw gofio?

Negative

EnglishWelshAlternativeExamples
I can’talla i ddimalla i ddim cofio
you can’talli/elli di ddimalli di ddim cofio
he can’tall e ddimall e ddim cofio
she can’tall hi ddimall hi ddim cofio
Carys can’tall Carys ddimall Carys ddim cofio
the girls can’tall y merched ddimall y merched ddim cofio
we can’tallwn ni ddimallwn ni ddim cofio
you can’tallwch/ellwch chi ddimallwch chi ddim cofio
they can’tallen nhw ddimallen nhw ddim cofio
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