mynd i'r gwely
To say go to bed in Welsh, use mynd i'r gwely. It literally means go to the bed.
mynd i'r gwely is the everyday phrase for going off to sleep at night.
Meaning: to lie down to sleep (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is made of mynd, meaning to go, i'r, meaning to the and gwely, meaning bed.
Which one should you use?
To tell someone to go to bed, Welsh uses a command form instead, as in Dos i'r gwely nawr!, which means go to bed now.
How does it change in a sentence?
After some words the verb changes its first letter, so mynd i'r gwely becomes fynd i'r gwely. This change is called soft mutation and is a normal part of Welsh.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not drop the article. Welsh says go to the bed, so keep i'r and not just i before gwely.
When do people say it?
Parents often tell children Dos i'r gwely nawr!, meaning go to bed now. Dos i'r gwely erbyn hanner nos means go to bed by midnight.
Did you know?
- The verb mynd is a linguistic puzzle called a suppletive verb. Its different forms come from three entirely different ancient roots: one meaning 'to go around', one meaning 'to drive', and another meaning 'to approach'.
Examples in context
- Mae'r plant yn mynd i'r gwely yn hwyr.The children are going to bed late.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gwely, mynd, CC BY-SA 4.0.
