If there is one single word you need to master in Welsh, it is Bod.

When you start learning Welsh, you might be looking for words like “am”, “is”, “are”, “was”, or “were”.

In Welsh, all of these English words are handled by just one irregular verb: Bod.

What does Bod mean?

Bod literally translates to “to be”.

Because we use “to be” so much in everyday speech (think about how often you say “I am” or “he is”), Bod is the most commonly used verb in the entire language. It acts as the backbone for the Present, Past (Imperfect), and Future tenses.

However, because it’s so common, it is also very irregular.

It changes its shape depending on who is speaking (me, you, them) and when it is happening (now, past, future).

But don’t worry.

It follows a pattern. Once you learn it, you will be able to construct thousands of sentences.

The present tense (I am)

The first thing you will learn in any Welsh course is how to say “I am” or “You are”.

In spoken Welsh, there are some regional differences between North Wales and South Wales. It’s good to recognize both, but you should pick the one that matches the area you are interested in or the course you are studying.

Here is the conjugation for Bod in the present tense:

When using these to describe yourself or others, you usually link the verb to the adjective or noun with the small word yn.

Here are some examples of the present tense in action:

The imperfect tense (I was)

The imperfect tense is used to talk about the past. It corresponds to “I was” or “I used to be”.

Just like in the present tense, spoken Welsh often shortens the formal written forms. For example, strictly written Welsh might say Roeddwn i, but in natural speech, you will hear Ro’n i.

Here is the spoken conjugation for Bod in the imperfect tense:

Here are examples of the imperfect tense:

The future tense (I will be)

To say that something “will be”, we use the future tense of Bod.

This is very useful for making plans or predicting things.

Here is the spoken conjugation for Bod in the future tense:

Here are examples of the future tense:

A note on ‘yn’ and specific variations

One distinct feature of using Bod is the use of the linking word yn.

In English, we say “I am happy”. In Welsh, we literally say “I am in happy” (Dw i yn hapus).

When speaking quickly, the yn is often shortened to just ‘n.

• Dw i yn hapus becomes Dw i**‘n** hapus.
• Mae e yn cysgu becomes Mae e**‘n** cysgu.

This little word acts as the glue that connects the verb Bod to the rest of the sentence.

Mastering Bod takes practice.

Because it is an irregular verb, the patterns look quite different from other verbs you will learn later (like canu for singing or yfed for drinking).

But remember: because it is irregular, it is also the most frequently used. By learning these three tables, you are instantly unlocking a massive part of the Welsh language.