Discussing the weekend
There are some things we have to do at the weekend and other things we enjoy doing. Look at the list of activities below. Can you decide which ones people generally have to do at the weekend and which ones they enjoy.
| Welsh | English |
| glanhau fy ystafell wely | to clean my bedroom |
| gweithio | to work |
| cyfarfod â ffrindiau | to meet friends |
| gwneud chwaraeon | to do sports |
| gwneud gwaith cartref | to do homework |
| helpu o gwmpas y tŷ | to help around the house |
| gwarchod | to babysit |
| ymlacio | to relax |
| mynd i'r dref | to go to town |
| garddio | to work in the garden |
| golchi'r car | to wash the car |
| Welsh | glanhau fy ystafell wely |
|---|---|
| English | to clean my bedroom |
| Welsh | gweithio |
|---|---|
| English | to work |
| Welsh | cyfarfod â ffrindiau |
|---|---|
| English | to meet friends |
| Welsh | gwneud chwaraeon |
|---|---|
| English | to do sports |
| Welsh | gwneud gwaith cartref |
|---|---|
| English | to do homework |
| Welsh | helpu o gwmpas y tŷ |
|---|---|
| English | to help around the house |
| Welsh | gwarchod |
|---|---|
| English | to babysit |
| Welsh | ymlacio |
|---|---|
| English | to relax |
| Welsh | mynd i'r dref |
|---|---|
| English | to go to town |
| Welsh | garddio |
|---|---|
| English | to work in the garden |
| Welsh | golchi'r car |
|---|---|
| English | to wash the car |
When describing that you have to do something, use the Rhaid i fi/mi + soft mutation, eg
Dros y penwythnos, rhaid i fi olchi’r car. – At the weekend, I must/have to wash the car.
Dydd Sadwrn, rhaid i fi lanhau’r tŷ. – Saturday, I must clean the house.
Question
Can you translate the following sentences into Welsh?
- I must babysit my sister.
- I must do homework.
- I must do work.
- I must work in the garden.
- Rhaid i fi warchod fy chwaer.
- Rhaid i fi wneud gwaith cartref.
- Rhaid i fi weithio.
- Rhaid i fi arddio.
If you want to say that you dislike or hate doing something, use these expressions:
- Dw i ddim yn hoffi – I don't like
- Dw i ddim yn mwynhau – I don't enjoy
- Dw i'n casáu – I hate
- Mae'n gas gen i (+ soft mutation) – I hate (north Wales)
- Mae'n gas gyda fi (+ soft mutation) – I hate (south Wales)
So if you want to say what you have to do and express your dislike, you just bring both sentences together:
Dros y penwythnos, rhaid i fi lanhau'r tŷ. Mae'n gas gen i lanhau.
Exercise
Say what you have to do over the weekend and how you feel about this.
Naturally, if you dislike doing something, you could say what you would like to do instead. Use Hoffwn i + soft mutation – I would like to...
Read about Vicky’s weekend:
Dros y penwythnos, rhaid i fi weithio yn yr archfarchnadsupermarket. Dw i'n casáu gweithio yn yr archfarchnad. Hoffwn i fynd i'r dref i siopa gyda fy ffrindiau yn lle. hefydalso, rhaid i fi helpu o gwmpas y tŷ. Dw i ddim yn mwynhau helpu o gwmpas y tŷ. Hoffwn i eistedd yn yr ardd yn lle. Dw i wrth fy modd yntorheuloto sunbathe a darllen yn yr ardd.
Hoffwn i fynd i’r dref. – I would like to go to town.
Dylwn i fynd i’r dref. – I should go to town.
Exercise
Write about the things you have to do over the weekend which you don’t enjoy and say what you would like to do instead.
You may wish to write about a weekend in the past, eg
penwythnos diwethalast weekend, es i i’r archfarchnad i siopa am fwyd. Sôn am ddiflas! Wedyn, gwelais i fy ffrindiau yn y dref ac aethon ni i’r caffi am goffi. Mwynheuais i siarad â fy ffrindiau. Nos Sadwrn, es i i’r sinema i wylio ffilm gomedi. Roedd y ffilm yn ddoniol iawn ac roeddwn i’n teimlo’n hapus. Hoffwn i weld fy ffrindiau eto wythnos nesa.
Look at Writing about the past if you would like to learn more about writing in the past tense.
Exercise
Why not prepare a written piece about what you did over the weekend? Use your imagination and try to make it as interesting as possible.
