There isn't just one word in Welsh for the English word 'to tell'. We have to say 'dweud wrth' - literally 'to say to'. However, if we 'speak to' someone we say 'siarad â' or 'siarad i' and if we listen to something we say 'gwrando ar'.
Make sure you use the soft mutation after 'dweud wrth', 'siarad i' and 'gwrando ar', but the aspirate mutation after 'siarad â'
Mutations are the bane of most learners' lives. It's always so hard to remember when you need to do it. Try and learn the following prepositions off by heart if you can - once you've learnt them as a kind of rhyme, it'll really help you to remember when to use the soft mutation!
am ar at gan dros drwy wrth dan heb hyd i o
You may have already come across the expression 'heb os nag oni bai' - meaning definitely. It sounds very long compared to the English doesn't it? But, here's a tip - if you think of it as meaning literally - heb os - 'without an if' - nag oni bai 'or an unless' - it'll definitely seem like less of a mouthful!
Agnes can't believe that Jac wants to get out of the physiotherapy pool so quickly as they've only just gone in. She says:
Newydd ddod i mewn ydyn ni - 'we've just come in', or literally translated 'we are newly coming in'
The word newydd in front of a verbal noun conveys the meaning of something having just or recently happened.
Mae hi newydd fynd - she's just left Maen nhw newydd briodi - they've recently got married Dw i newydd weld Jac - I've just seen Jac
I'm sure you've noticed that the verb that follows 'newydd' takes a soft mutation in this particular construction.
