mae gen i
In Welsh, 'I have' is expressed as mae gen i.
The phrase is used to state that the speaker possesses or owns something.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, mae gen i translates to 'is with me', which reflects a structure where the object being possessed is the subject that 'is with' the person.
How does it change in a sentence?
In spoken Welsh, when the phrase is followed immediately by a pronoun such as i (me), hi (her) or fo (him), the 'n' in gen is often doubled to genna, creating the form Mae genna i.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the structure Mae i gyda… to mean 'I have…', as this is a common error made by English speakers trying to translate the English 'have' directly.
Did you know?
- The word mae began as a contraction of yma yw, which literally means 'here is'.
- Welsh does not have a single word that functions exactly like the English verb 'to have' for possession, requiring this multi-word phrase instead.
- If you try to say 'I have a brother' by translating 'have' directly, you might accidentally say you are 'holding' him or that he is a physical object in your grasp.
Examples in context
- Mae gen i lyfr.I have a book.This sentence shows how to use mae gen i to state you possess a book.Tatoeba #1979972 by Sisial, translation #2793249 by CK
- Mae gen i gi mawr.I have a big dog.This sentence shows how to use mae gen i to state you possess a big dog.Tatoeba #6889932 by Sisial, translation #253213 by CK
- Mae gen i syniad da.I have a good idea.This sentence shows how to use mae gen i to state you possess a good idea.Tatoeba #1979312 by Sisial, translation #2358728 by CK
- Mae gen i gath.I have a cat.
- Mae gen i dŵr.I have water.
- Mae gen i luniau.I have pictures.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gareth and Rhiannon are getting ready to go outside.
- GarethMae gen i allwedd y car.I have the car keys.
- RhiannonDa, ond ble mae'r map?Good, but where is the map?
- GarethMae gen i'r map yma.I have the map here.
- RhiannonDa iawn, gadewen ni fynd.Very good, let's go.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mae, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
