"Ga i beth os gwelwch chi'n dda?"

Translation: May I have some, please?

[royaberarth]

why "beth" rather than "rhai"

[ibisc]

peth is a word with a number of meanings and uses, and this is one where it means 'some, a little, a little bit' or something uncountable.

rhai also means 'some' but only of countable things:

• Dyma fy esgidau fi, ble mae'ch rhai chi - Here are my shoes, where are yours/your ones?
• Dw i'n hoffi'r losin 'na, ga i rai, plîs? - I like those sweets, may I have some, please?

(Remember the mutation after ga i... - rhai -> rai)

[shwmae]

You could also think of it as:

peth = "some (of it)"

rhai = "some (of them)"

So if you're talking about bread, cake, chocolate etc.: Ga i beth os gwelwch chi'n dda?

If you're talking about potatoes, sweets, chocolates etc.: Ga i rai os gwelwch chi'n dda?

[Margaret885737]

Sounds as if youre saying 'beth' is for uncountable nouns, and 'rhai' is for countables?

[shwmae]

That's it exactly!

(Remember the unmutated uncountable form is peth not beth.)

[Margaret885737]

Diolch!

[cwtch_y_ddraig]

I've never come across this use of 'beth'. I would have maybe used 'ychydig' or 'tipyn'

[rmcode]

It is a similar meaning to the two you mention in this phrase.

[Rwyfi]

This is the only site using "chi'n" rather than "yn" in this phrase after checking two Welsh books and several Welsh dictionary sites.

[Margaret885737]

I seem to remember asking about that myself a while ago, and being told that both are used - that either is fine.

[shwmae]

Yep both are fine. In colloquial speech you'll often just plis whereas os gwelwch yn/chi'n dda (along with os gweli di'n dda) are a bit more of a formal "please".

[Margaret885737]

Diolch, shwmae - so helpful to have a Welsh-speaker's responses and clarifications.

[shwmae]

Croeso

[Ced40099]

How do we know when to use Beth instead of Ble? Both mean 'what'.

[ibisc]

They are different:

• Beth? - What?
• Ble? - Where?
• Beth ydy e? - What is it?
• Ble mae e? - Where is it?