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Original poster

Brother texts greetings in Welsh

236 replies

MoHub · 22/04/2025 02:20

My brother lives in Wales but he is English. He doesn't want to be Welsh, but every time he texts me at Christmas, New Year, birthday, etc he will do it in Welsh. So this weekend it was
Me: Happy Easter DB
DB: Pasg Hapus to you too

Don't get me wrong I like Wales, it's a lovely country, I like the Welsh and if a Welsh person wished me Happy Easter in Welsh that'd be fine but my brother is English and so am I. Every bloody time he does it.
A greeting in Welsh means nothing to me and yes I can work it out, but it doesn't half irk me and I know it's annoying me far more than it should.
AIBU to just want greetings in the language we both speak?

OP posts:
Arlanymor · 22/04/2025 17:35

Some people on this thread are truly horrible. I am not asking you to know the whole history of Wales, but at least be a bit less ignorant about the language. We nearly lost it through oppression and anyone today who attempts it is to be lauded not condemned. Because if you condemn then you may as well go back to the days of the Welsh K(N)ot and the language of savages argument.

Arlanymor · 22/04/2025 17:29

TheWonderhorse · 22/04/2025 15:04

Tell me what? Have you misunderstood me? I'm Welsh and well understand the issues facing Welsh identity. I'm saying it's deeper than how the UK Gov website describes it, it's what Wales means in English.

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So am I, but it didn't come across that way in your post. Not at all.

OhWhistle · 22/04/2025 17:26

nomas · 22/04/2025 17:24

🤣

I doubt any foreign powers are interested in the England and Wales divide.

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Dislike of 'otherness' always useful fuel

nomas · 22/04/2025 17:24

OhWhistle · 22/04/2025 16:16

Is that the decimal point as you rack up £££ for sowing division for some foreign power?

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🤣

I doubt any foreign powers are interested in the England and Wales divide.

nomas · 22/04/2025 17:22

CatSnackTagine · 22/04/2025 16:43

I think most people would think "it's my birthday. My friend is in China. That must be happy birthday in Chinese. I'll just Google it. Oh how fun of them!"

Like that is literally the obvious thing that people would do. You'd have to be completely daft to be at all baffled by that.

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Er no, they wouldn’t. You’d have to be completely daft to think that.

mambojambodothetango · 22/04/2025 17:19

I think it's nice! A learning opportunity. What's wrong with that?

glittercunt · 22/04/2025 16:47

Ble mae Gymraeg!

I think it's super of him. And it's so much more interesting. Before I learnt welsh, I sent things to people in German, French, Japanese, Dutch, Spanish... Mostly stick to Cymraeg these days as my wider family are now learning.

OhWhistle · 22/04/2025 16:44

As it happens there are Welsh speakers in Wales learning Mandarin.

The horror, the horror.

Let's rebuild the castles.

CatSnackTagine · 22/04/2025 16:43

nomas · 22/04/2025 15:53

So if someone sent you below:

生日快乐

you’d know what it means? Pull the other one!

Edited
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I think most people would think "it's my birthday. My friend is in China. That must be happy birthday in Chinese. I'll just Google it. Oh how fun of them!"

Like that is literally the obvious thing that people would do. You'd have to be completely daft to be at all baffled by that.

Dogpawsandcatwhiskers · 22/04/2025 16:37

My family always greet each other in spanish or french when we meet up, ola bonjour etc. DPs and DGPs did it too. God knows why as we're all Londoners.
Thinking about it we probably sound a bit Del Boy mange tout to non family 🤣

OhWhistle · 22/04/2025 16:26

It is the local language of the place he's in and one of the oldest languages belonging to these islands.

Original poster
MoHub · 22/04/2025 16:25

Apologies if I've offended or upset anyone. When I said a foreign language I just meant a language I didn't speak. Of course it is valid language.
It was more the point that he never sends me anything in English, not that he sometimes uses Welsh.
Sori pawb

OP posts:
OhWhistle · 22/04/2025 16:16

nomas · 22/04/2025 15:52

.

Edited

Is that the decimal point as you rack up £££ for sowing division for some foreign power?

BethBynnag86 · 22/04/2025 16:12

I send Welsh greetings cards to my English friends. They seem to like it 😁

nomas · 22/04/2025 15:53

Gwenhwyfar · 22/04/2025 13:56

OMG. Because they're not complete idiots and they can guess what is being sent to them on their birthday.

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So if someone sent you below:

生日快乐

you’d know what it means? Pull the other one!

nomas · 22/04/2025 15:52

.

TheWonderhorse · 22/04/2025 15:04

Arlanymor · 22/04/2025 13:53

Quite - can you tell @TheWonderhorse!

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Tell me what? Have you misunderstood me? I'm Welsh and well understand the issues facing Welsh identity. I'm saying it's deeper than how the UK Gov website describes it, it's what Wales means in English.

CampanulaMila · 22/04/2025 14:53

zingally · 22/04/2025 13:43

It's a bit pretentious isn't it?

It's the sort of thing my irritating BIL would do. I'd just ignore.

You have a weird chip on your shoulder and so does the OP.

ohtowinthelottery · 22/04/2025 14:30

Well I'm English, I live in England and I joined the National Trust at a property in England but every email they send me (and there's been quite a few) are in Welsh and English but with the Welsh first. Explain that!
I've emailed them asking them to stop it, had a reply that they're not sure why it's happening but they'd try and sort it but a month later it's still happening!
I think I could cope with the occasional greeting in Welsh from someone who lives in Wales. I actually have a Welsh friend in my English village who always wishes everyone happy birthday/Christmas/Easter in Welsh

KimberleyClark · 22/04/2025 14:21

Gwenhwyfar · 22/04/2025 12:48

The dirty meaning didn't even occur to me.

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To be fair,if you were talking about someone getting over a loss or a traumatic experience, you would say “dod dros”!

SpoonyMember · 22/04/2025 14:17

Abit odd, maybe he does want to try and be part of the local community but is abit shy so he's practicing on you? I married a welsh man & there alot of welsh in this house but he always speaks english to english speakers. Idk maybe its just like when you go to spain and say gracias to feel like you're trying 🥹 i've sometimes sent a welsh card to my English relatives but speak english to them all the time

iwentjasonwaterfalls · 22/04/2025 14:16

Whether it's a "penblwydd hapus", the occasional Duolingo lesson or doing a full on adult learners' course, every single person who makes the effort to use and improve their Welsh language should be celebrated 🎉

If you're struggling to understand his messages, OP, maybe learn a bit of Welsh yourself. You could surprise him and reply to him in Welsh!

Abhannmor · 22/04/2025 14:15

Nice that he is taking an interest in the culture of his adopted country. Probably hears a bit too. Our local Irish language conversation group was started by an English woman.

Arlanymor · 22/04/2025 14:10

nomas · 22/04/2025 13:59

And the bloody irony of English people finding Welsh somehow offensive. Ffycin idiots.

Another one I wouldn’t want to talk to, let alone learn a language for.

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You don't know the centuries of pain, you have no clue. It wasn't directed at anyone. Don't much want to talk to you either. Bye now (said in English).

Oh and I speak FOUR languages, as if it is a competition.

Arlanymor · 22/04/2025 14:09

DrPrunesqualer · 22/04/2025 13:58

I agree.
Its very insulting to Welsh people

How difficult can it be to change the wording on the website. Especially As this has been challenged for 50 years and the UKGovn website hasn’t been up that long!

Edited
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Diolch yn fawr - and I hope you know that I wasn't having a go at you at all, this is all very ridiculous and the insult is getting worse as the years on. Rishi Sunak saying: I'll call the Brecon Beacons what I like" and then Liz SR being told off for saying 'Happy St David's Day' in Welsh and she also said the same for Patrick in Gaeilge. Two sentences in the House of Commons that she immediately translated. People in power are diminishing the language all the time, it's gross.

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