Rydw

Rydw is a Welsh verb-form associated with the verb bod, used to express the present tense for the first person. In modern Welsh, the common way to say “I am” is usually rendered as Rwy’n or Rydw i’n, depending on dialect and register. The form rydw itself can appear at the start of a sentence for emphasis or in literary and ceremonial language, but it is less frequent in everyday speech.

In typical modern usage, rydw is part of a construction that includes a following pronoun or a verb in the -ing form, such as rydw i’n hapus (I am happy) or rydw i’n gweithio (I am working). The emphasis-bearing uses of rydw alone are more characteristic of formal writing, poetry, or proverbs, where cadence and rhythm play a role in conveying meaning.

Etymologically, rydw is linked to the Welsh verb bod (to be) and represents one of several first-person present-tense realizations that have evolved in different Welsh dialects. Its appearance and frequency can vary by region and by the level of formality in the speech or text.

Rydw is therefore best understood as a stylistic variant within Welsh present-tense expression, illustrating how personal subject and tense can be encoded differently across dialects and registers. See also Bod, Welsh grammar, and Welsh language usage.