"Mae gen i goffi."

Translation: I have a coffee.

[PolMicheal]

Is there a more literal translation for this sentence?

[mizinamo]

"Is with me coffee"

"gen i" is from "gan" (with) + "i" -- the original form was "gennyf" where the -a- turned into -e- under the influence of the -y- in the next syllable; when the final -f dropped as it does so often, "genny" sounded pretty much like "gen i" which I suppose is why it is spelled like that now; people reanalysing it as "gen" + the word "i" which means "I".

[PolMicheal]

Diolch! That is what I was thinking but I wasn't sure. I think my Irish studying has helped me with some of the structures in Welsh. I love how prepositions are used in both!

[iskraunam]

Why can't this be "Mae coffi gyda fi", as in the same structure when saying "I have a cat" (Mae cath gyda fi)?

[iskraunam]

Answer is yes. See https://www.duolingo.com/comment/13905665

[shwmae]

In colloquial Welsh, the two different ways depend on where you come from. In general:

North Wales: Mae gen i ...

South Wales: Mae ... gyda fi

They mean the same thing: "I have ...".

[Ash473779]

Can one use the word "oes" here too, for example "oes gen i goffi" ?

[shwmae]

That's the question: "Do I have coffee?"