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.

Or "Helo"

somewhere in Wales some people have learnt to speak it

And England. I go to Welsh classes in Hampshire.

What does seem odd though, is that OP says her workplace is a place to learn about Wales

Don't know whether it is significant, but I don't think she actually said that it is IN Wales!

And as we're here, can anybody translate "tydd dyn pob saes" for me

Thank you for the answers about "hello!". I love learning things like this.

I guess the whole good morning / afternoon / evening thing is more common in Welsh than it is in English. I think most people would say "morning!" sometimes but rarely good afternoon, or good evening unless in very formal settings.

If it's any consolation to the Welsh speakers I at least have the good grace to be feeling awful about not being able to say at least hello, goodbye, yes, no, please and thank you in the language of the country I'm in. (Though I can say that in English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Black Country ) so I hope I'm not the typical Brit abroad

Whitlandcarm

What's massive cunt in Welsh?

Haha! Probably "cont mawr"

People say "Hi" in pretty much every language these days.

Plenty of Germans say "Hi!" to other Germans, for example.

I greeted someone in Bavarian dialect the other day and got "Hi!" in return - I'm English, other party was Bavarian, never speaks English in day to day life :o

Also people are probably caught off guard being greeted in Welsh, when they were not necessarily expecting to be greeted at all, in a bilingual country where most of the conversation around them is going on in English.

So yabu

Sorry, context of above post is that it happened in Bavaria - doesn't make sense otherwise.

Your situation isn't really the same as being in a country where English is not one of the official languages.

Not RTFT but I'm with PP. I wouldn't have a clue about Welsh and would respond with a 'hi'.

I just got caught out recently with my limited French in Quebec. I responded the first couple of times with 'bonjour' and was pulled into a conversation in French. It was quite awkward to figure out what they were saying and then have to ask them if they spoke English.

That being said, if I know a country has a different first language is will learn a few basic phrases. I know enough French to get around but not have a full conversation. German I can have a conversation and Spanish, Italian, and Arabic I can just do very basic phrases and ask if they speak English.

The problem with Welsh is that it's much harder and English is the main language now. It's like Gaelic and Scotland (I used to live there and still don't know a word of Gaelic). I wouldn't have really thought about learning it before going.

I've stayed in a few places and been abroad but i have never spoken anything but english.

kali110 - Assuming you don't mean only English-speaking countries, why not?

Swedish

Foreign languages don't come naturally to many people. I try, but it rarely sticks in my brain. I only did my French GCSE 5 years ago and I can't remember much at all, certainly wouldn't be able to converse in a shop in French anymore.

Also, languages that have different alphabets or letter combos are incredibly difficult imo, for example Greek or Bulgarian.

I do think we should all try to learn a few very basic phrases though.

A lot of people can barely read and write English, let alone another language.

Op I can see you are a wonderful example of the type of Welsh person I described and most likely indeed from Gwynedd

I am Welsh, just like you except I'm not the oppressed xenophobic twat carrying a chip on my fucking shoulder since 1277.

Lovely sentiments for someone who's job relies on tourism. Yay, well done you.

Op's post has, quite rightly, been deleted.

maiden so you refused to speak Welsh? You could have acquired a useful, valued and sought after skill for free in school but turned your back on it because.... some sort of political, identity or racial hangup? Genuinely curious . You sound triumphantly smug but it is a bit sad, really, isn't it?

Surprised at the people who say they've been to all these places and not heard a word of Welsh. I don't live far from Bangor, I don't know anyone from Bangor who is not a Welsh speaker (first or acquired) and who doesn't speak the language every day.

Many people speak Welsh every day... it's just their first language, what they speak with their family, the songs they sing to their children, etc. It's no hardship and it's not done to spite or exclude others, it's just who people are.

It should be a source of pride for the British to have a Celtic language in every day use, especially one with such rich literature, poetry and music. Sigh.

I would not be happy to say Bore da at all. I am not Welsh, cannot speak Welsh, and do not attempt to do so. I would reply with Hello. To me I would think you were firstly showing off and secondly trying to embarrass non Welsh speakers.

I went to university in Bangor. Not a word, well very rarely. We were warned away from some of the nationalist pubs in town, as they were supposed to be Welsh speaking and unfriendly to non locals, but we ignored the warning and it was fine. Lovely place.

This thread has made me want to find out more. Does anybody have a website/book recommendation? I know more latin and old english (very little indeed of the latter) than I do of Welsh, which is quite shocking!

@OhtoblazeswithElvira

I said

I choose not to speak Welsh. I don't want to speak Welsh. Speaking Welsh does not make you more

I didn't say I couldn't speak Welsh, I choose to not do so. Choose.

Not sad at all, I'd never want to be mistaken for the type of person I've described.

Yes I agree, Welsh can be useful in securing employment ( In Wales ) there's a joke about two lifeguards applying for the same job, only one could swim but the other was a Welsh speaker so he got the job

Smug? If you say so cariad.

A lot of the the older generation round me are really anti Welsh....I've been told this generates from when the Welsh used to take down the road signs so as the English tourists got lost and they also burnt down cottages bought by the English too I believe. Not sure why this all started.

I don't know what the OP put in the comments that were deleted but since they come immediately after mine, I would love to know

@purpletowels

There's a really good free app called Say Something in Welsh.

It wasn't aimed at you. OP aimed a rather bitter personal attack at someone else. You see the translation in the posts that follow.

Thanks Maiden.