Brother texts greetings in Welsh

[MoHub]

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?

You’re being unreasonable and a bit precious. You know what he’s saying so what does it matter?

It’s a bit odd, if neither of you are Welsh or speak Welsh. I’m Welsh and I will send Welsh greeting cards and write greetings in Welsh but only to other Welsh friends and relatives.

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 😁

If it is just the greeting and the rest of the message is in English, I don't see the problem. My (English) cousin who lives in Spain does the same (in Spanish obviously) and I have never thought about it.

I would assume he's trying to learn the language and therefore practising it at every opportunity. Or, less charitably, showing off the random phrases he's picked up because he thinks it makes him look like some kind of polyglot genius. Does he have a history of assuming he's cleverer than you? Is that why this is winding you up so much?

I don't think it's that unusual, a bit like someone sending a "hello" in the language of the place they are on holiday. Perhaps he knows it irritates you, so keeps doing it to wind you up (brothers seem to be good at that sort of thing).

I have friends and family who do this and it would never occur to me to be annoyed by it. I'm fact I might have done similar when I lived abroad for a year. Surely it's just a friendly joke referencing the place the person is messaging from and a bit more interesting than just sending exactly the same message to each other?

Nah I am English and live in NZ and wish people Merry Xmas in Te Reo. It's good for people to have exposure to other languages.

I was just about to say something similar as I'm in NZ. Lots of people send greetings in Te Reo, I think it's great.

You’re being quite petty. It’s not like he’s sending you whole messages in Welsh so that you have to translate it into English, that would be weird. But a greeting in the language of the country he lives in is harmless. Would you feel the same if he lived in France and texted in French?

Why wouldn’t she
I doubt it’s a Welsh hate thing

You’d be surprised how many people seem to take offence at anyone speaking Welsh, ever, when ‘everyone in wales speaks English’.
I’m just asking to clarify why OP finds it so annoying.

YABU. He lives in Wales and is embracing the language. Not sure why you'd have a problem with learning new things, it's good to expand your brain. You sound a tad racist tbh, you don't have to be Welsh to learn Welsh or any other language for that matter.

Fair enough, I guess I am grateful I get something. He doesn't speak Welsh at home (SiL is English) or want to learn it.

I just thought it a bit odd and it would be quite nice to get a 'happy birthday' occasionally.

Thanks for replies

I work with people who are from all over the place and I greet them on festival days with something in their language, which is appreciated.

If it was every time, yes. And the foreign greeting is the whole message.

Definitely go no conract, this is appalling behaviour by your brother or you could just accept that he enjoys using the language of a country he lives in

I agree with you OP I think this is weird and if one of my siblings did this I’d be cringing at them

My DH is not Welsh but has lived in Wales for a very long time. He likes to send bilingual Christmas cards to his friends even those who aren’t Welsh. What’s wrong with that?

I'm cringing at that comment.

He’s not Welsh. He’s found out what the special greetings are in Welsh, and he sends it to you at special moments. I think it’s sweet.

Just let him know that it’s meaningless to you, and he can send ‘HBDS x’ instead.

I’d be eye rolling a little bit. I came on to suggest replying in other languages like @DrPrunesqualer also said.

Make it a little game for him.

OP would you be as upset if your DB was living in France and wishing you a joyeux anniversaire?

Incidental Welsh is really common In Wales. even non native speakers or people who learned Welsh at school but wouldn't dream of speaking Welsh normally will often exchange those greetings in welsh- in the middle of a conversation in English.

When DH has been working with a Welsh colleague, I get offered a paned when I get home - in England. Neither dh or I is Welsh speaking

You’re being horrible. Get over it. Are you very young?