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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:
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.

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 🤣

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.

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.

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.

mambojambodothetango · 22/04/2025 17:19

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

CatSnackTagine · 22/04/2025 17:35

nomas · 22/04/2025 17:22

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

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They would. You're being quite silly and rude to be honest. Other people have tried to explain this to you.

Most people would recognise a foreign greeting on a special day. Sorry, but that's that.

Arlanymor · 22/04/2025 17:36

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

Well I hope they sort that out for you soon, must be such a chore to scroll down.

Arlanymor · 22/04/2025 17:37

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ohtowinthelottery · 22/04/2025 17:39

@Arlanymor I don't tend to bother though tbh. I may as well unsubscribe to the emails.
I'm just curious as to why their system is doing it in the first place.

OhWhistle · 22/04/2025 17:41

ohtowinthelottery · 22/04/2025 17:39

@Arlanymor I don't tend to bother though tbh. I may as well unsubscribe to the emails.
I'm just curious as to why their system is doing it in the first place.

It's been Captured.

Arlanymor · 22/04/2025 17:42

ohtowinthelottery · 22/04/2025 17:39

@Arlanymor I don't tend to bother though tbh. I may as well unsubscribe to the emails.
I'm just curious as to why their system is doing it in the first place.

Probably something you signed up for. Ticked the wrong box. Maybe remove yourself from their database and sign up again and make sure you don't sign up for Cymraeg.

Arlanymor · 22/04/2025 17:43

OhWhistle · 22/04/2025 17:41

It's been Captured.

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Right?!

OhWhistle · 22/04/2025 17:43

Arlanymor · 22/04/2025 17:43

Right?!

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🐲💯

ohtowinthelottery · 22/04/2025 17:45

@Arlanymor I signed up as a member. All the details were completed by an employee/volunteer at a National Trust property in England. So I'm not sure where Welsh ever came up on anyone's radar.

Arlanymor · 22/04/2025 17:45

But thanks to the people on here who have reminded me to march in Barry on Saturday... just goes to show doesn't it really?

Arlanymor · 22/04/2025 17:46

ohtowinthelottery · 22/04/2025 17:45

@Arlanymor I signed up as a member. All the details were completed by an employee/volunteer at a National Trust property in England. So I'm not sure where Welsh ever came up on anyone's radar.

Well on behalf of Wales I am sorry you were so inconvenienced.

We've ourselves have been fairly inconvenienced since 1543, no one that I can write a letter to though...

OhWhistle · 22/04/2025 17:47

ohtowinthelottery · 22/04/2025 17:45

@Arlanymor I signed up as a member. All the details were completed by an employee/volunteer at a National Trust property in England. So I'm not sure where Welsh ever came up on anyone's radar.

Maybe a younger minor royal was interning and got confused. Don't they learn Welsh.

Arlanymor · 22/04/2025 17:47

OhWhistle · 22/04/2025 17:47

Maybe a younger minor royal was interning and got confused. Don't they learn Welsh.

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HA! I just laughed out loud!!! Diolch!

Greebosmum · 22/04/2025 17:51

Oh my goodness. My sister is just the same. I don't take any notice now, just think she's a bit pretentious. Funniest thing I have heard her say, before going on a rant about Welsh schools, was 'I don't mind them speaking Welsh'. Grin I am sure the entire Welsh nation is delighted by that. As she is well past retirement age and has never had a child in a Welsh achool I'm not sure it is any of her concern.