pwy wyt ti?
The English phrase "who are you?" is translated into Welsh as pwy wyt ti?
This phrase is used to ask about a person's identity.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of pwy (who), wyt (are) and ti (you).
Which one should you use?
Pwy wyt ti? is the informal version of the question, while Pwy ydych chi? is the formal or polite version.
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite or formal version, Pwy ydych chi?, uses the verb form ydych and the pronoun chi instead of the informal wyt ti.
Did you know?
- While pwy wyt ti? is informal, using it with a stranger or a boss can be seen as intentionally aggressive rather than just casual.
- The word ti in pwy wyt ti? is a direct relative of the old English pronoun 'thou'.
- The word pwy shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'who', both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷís.
Examples in context
- Pwy wyt ti?Who are you?
Example conversation
Two strangers meet at a community event.
- ElowenHelo! Pwy wyt ti?Hello! Who are you?
- RhysDw i'n Rhys. Pwy wyt ti ti?I am Rhys. Who are you?
- ElowenDw i'n Elowen. Nain, dwi'n hapus i gwrando.I am Elowen. Well, I am happy to meet you.
- RhysYn hapus i gwrando arnosa ti, Elowen.Happy to meet you too, Elowen.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pwy, ti, CC BY-SA 4.0.
