Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
EmmaEmEmz · 22/04/2025 08:33

Posted too soon...I think it's really ignorant not to use the language of the country you're in. My kids can now speak almost fluent Welsh and I have done what I csm to learn the language since I've moved here,hence using it at every possible opportunity. It's modelling good habits to the children as well.

Oftenaddled · 22/04/2025 08:31

He knows you know he's not Welsh or Welsh speaking, so he's not showing off.

Surely he's just making it a bit more personal than sending the same greeting as everyone else?

There is a phenomenon where we all get a little tense about family members changing in small ways - not things that matter objectively but things upset our expected order of things. That might be why this seems important to you but trivial to everyone else.

Why not go with it - brother is embracing being in Wales and likes to take about it. So ask him how things are going in Cymru or whether he's enjoying the rygbi once in a while. Don't try to control him

EmmaEmEmz · 22/04/2025 08:30

I'm not Welsh but live in Wales. I use e very possible opportunity to use the very limited Welsh I do know, so use nadolig llawen etc even to my relatives in England.

Frowningprovidence · 22/04/2025 08:26

I think it's sweet.

When my dh lived abroad he send home stuff to the kids with little phrases in the local language if it was a birthday or religious festival and make a point of getting local traditional gifts.

IneedAniffler · 22/04/2025 08:23

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?

At best you're being a killjoy - it's fun to use different languages especially if you live there, it's not like he's sending you a whole message to decipher. Happy Birthday/Easter/Xmas shouldn't be confusing to you in a language spoken in a country you're joined to.

At worst you come across a bit bigoted by saying he's English so should speak English. Are you saying its an affront for my to wish my husband happy birthday in Spanish because neither of us are Spanish or live in Spain, we just enjoy the language and everything else about the place? I'd say it's far from "rude" as PP have suggested.

Or, instead of moaning about it on here why don't you just message him and say "DB I don't know why but it really annoys me when you say things in Welsh, I want you to wish me Happy Birthday in English because we are English"

Make him feel silly, kill the buzz, but get your wish!

Let us know what he says

Or...
Ymdawelu...

JohnAmendAll · 22/04/2025 08:19

Be thankful he sends you greetings.

DUsername · 22/04/2025 08:06

Clafoutie · 22/04/2025 07:55

This thread is a bit depressing. Have we really become so insular that we consider somebody ( presumably) just enjoying the culture they have moved to via a few words of a text something to be offended by?

Indeed. I think it is an English thing to be absolutely, steadfastly, stubbornly a monoglot too. To the point of being mildly offended by people using other languages around you. Especially if it's Welsh.

TheWonderhorse · 22/04/2025 08:05

Welsh woman here, can you please thank your brother for being a good human? So many move to Wales and make no effort.

But also, what's the issue? The use of Welsh does wind people up sometimes in a way that leaves me baffled and much more keen to learn more Cymraeg.

IButtleSir · 22/04/2025 08:03

Is this genuinely the biggest problem you have?!

Clafoutie · 22/04/2025 07:55

This thread is a bit depressing. Have we really become so insular that we consider somebody ( presumably) just enjoying the culture they have moved to via a few words of a text something to be offended by?

Clafoutie · 22/04/2025 07:49

nomas · 22/04/2025 06:44

YANBU, a pp is right, text him a reply in an obscure language. You are not Welsh so he’s being very rude.

But how on earth is it rude?

Kellybonita · 22/04/2025 07:40

English is not the only language in the world!

DriveMeCrazyRoadRage · 22/04/2025 07:38

My step dad is Welsh but has lived in England for 30 years. I still only ever get happy Christmas and happy Easter in Welsh. Sometimes I get other Welsh greetings I have to look up to decipher! I got a lovely Welsh Easter card from him this year (which he'd have had to source online somewhere I guess as he lives in the south of England and I doubt he just popped into Tesco for it!!)

I don't mind at all! He's proud to be Welsh. I expect if your brother lives in Wales he's picked up on the Welsh pride. Wales is proud of it's language and traditions and it would probably be hard to live there and not kind of 'join in'!

Let him keep messaging you in Welsh! It really doesn't matter and makes him happy.

Cosyblankets · 22/04/2025 07:37

What harm does it do?
It's not like you don't know what it says

TasWair · 22/04/2025 07:37

SummerDaysOnTheWay · 22/04/2025 07:36

Peidiwch â chymryd eich hun mor ddifrifol!!!

any better @TasWair?

Show quote history

Not perfect but a lot better, and not obscene! 😂

TasWair · 22/04/2025 07:36

SummerDaysOnTheWay · 22/04/2025 07:34

🤣🤣🤣 thought I’d try out the translate function online!

Show quote history

I think you were trying to say "get over yourself", which doesn't exist as a idiom in Welsh. What google gave you was more "cum over yourself"!!
You gave me a good giggle anyway!

SummerDaysOnTheWay · 22/04/2025 07:36

SummerDaysOnTheWay · 22/04/2025 07:34

🤣🤣🤣 thought I’d try out the translate function online!

Show quote history

Peidiwch â chymryd eich hun mor ddifrifol!!!

any better @TasWair?

SandlersToe · 22/04/2025 07:34

God forbid someone learns and/or speaks another language. And Welsh of all things. How dare he!

SummerDaysOnTheWay · 22/04/2025 07:34

TasWair · 22/04/2025 07:29

This is not what you were trying to say, I'm certain of it! 😂😂

Show quote history

🤣🤣🤣 thought I’d try out the translate function online!

RedToothBrush · 22/04/2025 07:33

Why not reply 'bah humbug' in Welsh?

KidneyRock · 22/04/2025 07:33

I am generally quite intolerant but this wouldn’t bother me one bit. I imagine it’s something about your relationship with your brother that’s the real issue.

TasWair · 22/04/2025 07:29

SummerDaysOnTheWay · 22/04/2025 07:24

dod dros eich hun

This is not what you were trying to say, I'm certain of it! 😂😂

MissyB1 · 22/04/2025 07:26

DrPrunesqualer · 22/04/2025 03:00

It is very odd as he knows you don’t speak Welsh

Why not reply in other languages. Perhaps you could help him learn how to say happy Easter In loads of languages

Frohe Ostern - German
Pasaka njema - Swahili
Caisc Shona duit - Irish
Felices Pascuas - Spanish

Id love to do Chinese and Russian etc but I don’t know how to change my script

apologies to all German, Spanish, Swahili and Irish speakers if I spelt anything wrong 😁

Absolutely do this! I would have great fun with it!

Smallmercies · 22/04/2025 07:24

God påske og ha en fin dag! 🥰🐣🐤

SummerDaysOnTheWay · 22/04/2025 07:24

dod dros eich hun