Hello, is there a correct time to use “ydw” versus “ydy”?
Yes! So while both of them are affirmative responses, they don't mean the same thing.
ydw (or "yndw" in North Wales) = I am
ydy (or "yndy/yndi") = it is
A handy trick a lot of the time is to listen out to how the question itself is asked; sometimes (but not always) this tells you which affirmative response to use!
"Ydy dy fam yma?" (Is your mother here?)
"Ydy!"
"Oes bwyd yma?" (Is there food here?)
"Oes!"
"Oedd dy dad yma?" (Was your father here?)
"Oedd."
However, this trick only works if the question isn't about you or the question asker. It's a bit too complicated to break down neatly in one ask, but here's a really useful resource on learning all 985948 ways of saying yes and no in Welsh (I am exaggerating but also I am not):
In English, we have things pretty easy. If you want to confirm a statement, you say “Yes!” and if you want to negate a statement, you say “N
But in short, "ydw" is specifically to say yes about yourself in the present tense, while "ydy" is specifically to say yes about something or a third party in the present tense.
When in doubt, just stick to "ie/ia" (yes) and "na" - they might not be grammatically correct all the time, but they'll convey what you mean well enough until the correct responses come a bit more naturally to you!
Worbs
