To think that people should respond to a greeting in the language of the country?

[Whitlandcarm]

I work in a place where we get lots of visitors popping in and out, part of my job is to say good morning/good afternoon as they enter.

The language of my workplace is Welsh. Every member of staff is fluent. The place in which I work is a place to learn about Wales.

I say "Bore da" with a smile, and get a "err hi" "morning.", or my fave, nothing.
Often with a face like I've just shit on their shoe. Perhaps sometimes even a hint of disgust.

AIBU unreasonable to expect people to answer me in Welsh? Then speak to me in English if they please afterwards?

Would you go to Spain and answer in English, if a shop keeper etc greeted you? Certainly not.

Even some Welsh seem to do this, but 99% of the time they are English.

Many Australians, Americans, Canadians, other Europeans put effort in and reply "bore da", "prynhawn da" etc.

I am someone who would conceivably visit your workplace assuming it's a museum or visitor centre or similar. I don't speak Welsh. I would not know what "bore da" meant and would not know the correct response. I think you are being unreasonable to expect people to firstly know Welsh and secondly to reply.

Yeah and I just bet you learn a few phrases of Navajo or Sioux before you travel to the States and greet shop workers in Lima in Quechua.

For whatever sad reason, Wales is an English speaking country now.

For goodness' sake - does the OP not have an answer to "How can people reply in Welsh if they don't know what bore da means?" OP - you might think it's obvious that you are saying good morning, but it really isn't necessarily obvious.

I wonder if the spellings in Welsh could be something which puts non-speakers off having a go?

If you're faced with "bonjour", "hola", "namaste", "guten tag" or whatever it's not too difficult to have a stab at saying them, even if you make a mess of the correct accent

But some of the letter combinations in Welsh are completely impenetrable (at least to me )

I'm Welsh and have always lived in Wales. I was forced to learn taught Welsh all through school. I choose not to speak Welsh. I don't want to speak Welsh. Speaking Welsh does not make you more Welsh.

If Op greeted me in Welsh, I'd understand exactly what she said, just as I understand exactly the snide comments and remarks that are said by Welsh speakers about people they think are English. Especially Gwynedd, a county reliant on the tourist pound, promoting tourism yet silently ( to the untrained eat) xenophobic.

Op if you want to encourage an interest in the Welsh language, greet in English then repeat in Welsh, you wouldn't make people feel self conscious or uncomfortable then.

I'd still only answer in English

To the pp quoting the hobbit: Tolkien absolutely loved Welsh and based his Elvish languages on it.

And, as a Welsh person, I try and learn a smattering of wherever I am travelling to. Surely it is only basic politeness?

The suppression of Welsh is not some medieval thing you know; my Grandad was caned in school for speaking Welsh. Welsh at home and English at school. Imagine how it must feel psychologically to be told your language, your literature, your poetry and songs are inferior and unacceptable? No wonder us Welsh are a bit chippy.

Wales is an English and Welsh speaking country now

Fixed that for you :)

I grew up in Snowdonia, it was more common to hear Welsh being spoken around my village than English. This isn't a bajillion years ago; I'm 22.

I now live in South West Wales. I expected to hear no Welsh whatsoever but it's surprised me how many people speak Welsh around here too.

The only place in Wales I've lived where I haven't heard Welsh frequently is Wrexham.

Brits are generally fairly bad at attempting the language of the country they're in, although I sometimes think it's embarrassment rather than ignorance.

English is such a widely spoken language - it was used by all the international students I taught to converse with each other, so it's easy to assume people working in a customer facing role in a tourist environment will have a smattering of English.

We try and learn the basics if we're going to a new country, and have fond memories of DH responding to a Portugese shop assistant with 'arigato' rather than 'obrigado'........

I've spent lots of time in Wales and love the history, but have never heard Welsh used in regular conversation. Even in Snowdonia a majority of greetings were in English

I'm astounded too - I'm on the edge of Snowdonia. Welsh is the first choice for conversation unless of course there are sais present. Then we speak English as a courtesy to them

Genuine question, what do Welsh people say for "hello" when they pick up the phone? The two European languages I have a smattering in both say hello - or a very similar variation.

I'm trying to establish if saying the Welsh equivalent of hello rather than good morning / afternoon / evening would be easier for everyone!

Ovaries, only about 20% of people in Wales speak Welsh.

So predominantly, Wales IS an English speaking country.

Personally I do think it's rude for people not to reply, however, can se why they'd respond in English and not Welsh.

Welsh is not a comfortable or familiar language for most non-Welsh speakers. It's difficult to read and interpret sounds into spoken word of you have no clue about any Welsh at all - it's a confusing language to read if you don't understand the sounds of the language and therefore people are unlikely to walk into a tourist type place and be able to reply.

Perhaps having a sign near to the entrance with some common greetings, their spellings, a phonetic translation and a list of appropriate responses you might get more of an enthusiastic reply and less embarrassment from the person whom you are greeting.

A good few years ago I was stood in the queue in a shop and a man tutted at a woman speaking to her daughter in the queue next to us and sort of announced to thin air 'you'd think they'd learn English if they are going to come over here' to which she replied 'We're in Wales and I'm speaking Welsh'.. I almost clapped her

I really wish I'd paid more attention to Welsh in school. I can manage the most basic 'Hi, how are you?' conversation but that's about it.

Bit shwmae is a 'hiya' type word I believe. I'm sure some fluent Welsh speakers may have more.

Sorry, but if I was in Wales and some stranger said "Boreda" to me, I would just mumble something like "no, thanks" and move away awkwardly. Wouldn't be expecting a foreign language in the UK.

I'd feel a bit foolish attempting to speak Welsh. I'd just say hello

So you wouldn't be expecting Welsh in Wales Fresh? You must lead a very limited life.

I had no idea "Bore da" was a greeting in Welsh. So, you would be getting a blank look from me and a "err hi?", as I wouldn't understand what you were saying to me.

Of course, in Spain, I would say Hola and in France Bonjour... But that's because I know what those words mean already.

You don't expect everyone to know the Welsh phrase for a greeting, do you? It's not exactly a widely used or known language, and not taught as a MFL in English schools usually.

This is from someone who has Welsh heritage, my Grandmother could probably understand you and reply in Welsh because she was born and lived there a while.

So does no one give it a go in foreign languages then? I'm no linguist, only have OLevel French to my name, but I'd at least try to order a meal or a drink in French or Spanish or Italian. An hour or so on you Tube gives you a smattering.

Id probably still respond in English if I understood. Not because I'm rude because is habit as English is the only language I really speak.

I can understand quite a lot of German and have been told I look German whatever that is.

A German lady came up to me at the airport and spoke to me in German. I knew what she said and probably could have struggled though a response in German - but it came as a surprise so without thinking I responded in English.

She was asking me if I spoke German . I said "no not really !" in English.

Guess that answered her question in more than one way !

Honestly I'm very shy because I know how shit I am at other languages. I'm embarrassed to try.

TinklyLittleLaugh it's not that I wouldn't be expecting Welsh in Wales, it's just that a lot of non-Welsh speakers might not know if Bore da means hello, or how are you, or can I help you, or lovely morning isn't it, or welcome to the shop - all of which need a different reply so that would throw them.

I do have a go on the Duolingo app, although I usually like learning bits of Swedish.

Welsh would through me, same as Gaelic. The letters just don't make sense to me.

Next time I visit Wales, I will try to learn a few phrases.

So you wouldn't be expecting Welsh in Wales Fresh?

I have been to Wales many times and never heard anyone speak Welsh. Yes I do get that somewhere in Wales some people have learnt to speak it but as its so uncommon I wouldn't be expecting to hear it normally.

Maybe if it was a full sentence it would be easier to detect that it was a different language but on its own it would be easily misinterpreted.

Genuine question, what do Welsh people say for "hello" when they pick up the phone?

If it's formal: bore da, prynhawn da, noswaith da depending on the time of day.

Informal, chatting: Iawn/Shwmae.

Yes I do get that somewhere in Wales some people have learnt to speak it

No. In many communities in Wales, people have grown up speaking Welsh as their first language, and have learned to speak English in addition.

It isn't just a few people picking up a Welsh dictionary and thinking "hey I'll learn this".