"Dw i eisiau car."
Translation:I want a car.
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Strangely enough, English 'car' was introduced as 'a car' in Welsh in the introductory (picture) lessons, but here the 'a' has been dropped. Is there an error somewhere - or what am i missing?
Welsh has no indefinite article - no word for 'a' or 'an'.
Dw i eisiau car = I want a car.
(Am on mobile so can't see how old your question is - you may well have realised this yourself by now.)
- 694
For anyone else on mobile, who doesn't have access to the notes:
Unlike typical verbs, "eisiau" is NOT preceded by "yn/'n" when it follows "dw i", "dych chi", etc.
It's an exception to the usual rule because it's technically a noun, even though it functions as a verb.
If you have an internet connection and a web browser, you have access to the notes - https://forum.duolingo.com/comment/17638579. You can even go to the duome link in that discussion and save a full searchable copy of the notes.
The speed of the TTS makes it sound like "dwee" rather than the "doo ee" I've heard in the first few lessons (using exaggerated English spellings). Do they tend to merge together like that or is it an error with the TTS engine?
The first few lessons use a deliberately slow and careful/distinct pronunciation to get you used to Welsh.
As far as I know, "dwee" is common in actual spoken Welsh. (One Welsh person told me that dw i eisiau, four or five syllables depending on how you count, turns to dwisho (two syllables) where she is from.)
Thank you. I figured something like that might be the case. Sounds very reasonable. :)
The Dwisho pronunciation is more for "Dwi isio" as opposed to "Dwi eisiau".
I suppose so, but I've also heard people say "we might say isho/isio but when we write, we should write eisiau".
They're not separate words, as far as I know; one is just a spelling that is closer to how that word is pronounced in some areas.
So I've understood it that some people write "Dw i eisiau" but say "Dwisho" -- i.e. they don't represent the -o ending in their writing even though they have it in their speech.
Ah yeah I can see how some people would pronounce it one way but spell it the other.