Welsh Verb Conjugation: Spoken Patterns and Core Tables

Welsh verb conjugation is simpler than it first appears because spoken Welsh often avoids full inflection. Everyday Welsh relies heavily on helper verbs such as bod and gwneud combined with the verbnoun.

This guide covers the core spoken systems rendered below: periphrastic present, imperfect past, future, and conditional constructions; the preterite; the gwneud construction; commands; and common irregular verbs. For bod specifically, see our dedicated Welsh verb bod guide.

Two Systems: Periphrastic and Inflected

Welsh has two main ways to express verb tenses:

• Periphrastic (long form): Uses bod + yn + verbnoun and is central to spoken Welsh. Example: Dw i'n rhedeg (I am running).
• Inflected (short form): The verb itself carries tense and person endings. It appears in the preterite, formal writing, and with several common verbs. Example: Rhedais i (I ran).

If you're starting out, focus on the periphrastic system. The tables below cover present, imperfect past, future, and conditional patterns using bod forms from the bod guide.

The Verbnoun (Berfenw)

The verbnoun is the dictionary form of every Welsh verb — the form you look up and the form used in periphrastic constructions. Common examples:

Present Tense (Periphrastic)

Use bod (present) + yn + verbnoun:

Note: 'n is a contraction of yn. After a vowel, write 'n. The yn here triggers soft mutation on the verbnoun, but only on certain consonants in practice. See the mutations guide for details.

Past Tense (Periphrastic)

Use bod (imperfect) + yn + verbnoun for ongoing past actions ("was doing"):

Future Tense (Periphrastic)

Use bod (future) + yn + verbnoun:

Preterite / Simple Past (Inflected)

The preterite is the one tense where spoken Welsh commonly uses inflected forms. It describes completed actions: "I ran," "she ate." Regular verbs follow a consistent pattern of endings added to the verb stem.

Alternative (spoken): Many speakers use gwneud (do) as a helper instead: Wnes i ganu (I sang, literally "I did sing"). Both forms are correct in conversation.

The gwneud Construction

Gwneud (to do/make) works like English "did" to form past tense, and is extremely common in spoken Welsh:

Notice the verbnoun (canu) undergoes soft mutation after gwneud → ganu. This is consistent — the mutations guide explains why.

The Irregular Verbs

Welsh has a handful of irregular verbs, but they're the most frequently used words in the language. You cannot avoid them.

Conditional

The conditional ("would") uses bod (conditional) + yn + verbnoun:

Negatives add ddim: Faswn i ddim yn hoffi (I wouldn't like). Questions use the interrogative form: Faswn i'n gallu? (Would I be able?).

Imperative (Commands)

Commands use the verb stem directly. For regular verbs, the informal singular command is just the stem, and the polite/plural adds -wch:

Negative commands: Paid â (don't, informal) / Peidiwch â (don't, polite/plural) + verbnoun: Paid â rhedeg! (Don't run!).

Practical Tips

1. Master bod first. It's your skeleton key to Welsh. Present, past, future, conditional — all unlocked by one verb plus verbnouns. See the complete bod guide.
2. Learn the preterite endings. This is the one tense where inflected forms are common in speech. The endings are regular and consistent.
3. Get comfortable with gwneud. It's the spoken alternative to inflected past tense and makes questions and negatives easier to form.
4. Don't memorise literary conjugation tables. They exist and you'll encounter them in writing, but spoken Welsh uses them rarely. Spend your time on the periphrastic system instead.
5. Learn mutations alongside verbs. Verb forms trigger and undergo mutations constantly. The mutations guide is essential context.