Swiss-German is considerably different from German, especially as it happens in regard to those very phrases which a traveler needs: niceties, greetings, asking for stuff, getting directions, etc. One of the key differences to getting by with Swiss German. For example, “Fine, thank you” is “Guet, merci”; with guet being the German word for good/fine, while merci is from the French “thank you”. In addition, there are many pronunciation differences which separate Swiss-German from either language. For example, the diphthong in Swiss-German “guet” versus the monophthong in High-German “gut”.
Speaking Swiss-German is common for all people living in the Swiss-German part of Switzerland, independent of age or education. For writing, standard German is mostly used, though Swiss-German dialect is particularly popular on informal writing (e.g. in e-mail messages, SMS messages, on Facebook and YouTube etc.). With the ongoing globalization and immigration, mixing Swiss-German dialects with English (quite often even with pseudo English) or speaking so called “Jugo-Deutsch” (German pronounced as immigrants coming from the former Yugoslavia region tend to pronounce it) has also become trendy for youngsters.
Table of Contents
- Basics
- Problems
- Numbers
- Time
- Days
- Months
- Colors
- Transportation
- Directions
- Taxi
- Lodging
- Money
- Eating
- Shopping
- Driving
- Other
Basics
- Hello/Hi (informal)
- Hoi!
- Hi, everyone! (informal)
- Hoi zäme!
- Hi (very informal)
- Saluti! / Saletti!
- Hello (formal)
- Grüezi! / Sali! (in areas close to French-speaking Switzerland)
- Hello, Ms./Mr. … (formal)
- Grüezi Frau/Härr …
- Hello, everyone (formal)
- Grüezi mitenand!
- My name is … (formal)
- I heisse …
- My name is … (informal)
- Mi name isch …
- How are you? (informal)
- Wie gaats dir?
- How are you? (formal)
- Wie gaats Ine?
- I’m fine, thanks!
- Mir gaats guet, danke!
- I don’t feel well!
- Mir gaats nöd so guet!
- What about you? (informal)
- Und dir?
- What about you? (formal)
- Und Ine?
- Good morning (informal and formal)
- Guete Morge
- Good evening
- Guete Aabig
Problems
- I lost my wallet!
- Ich han mis Portmone verloore!
- I feel sick/not well/upset
- Ich füel mi schlächt
- Where is the police station?
- Wo isch de Polizeiposchte?
- I have to report something
- Ich mues öppis mälde
- Hospital
- Spitaal
- Is there a hospital nearby?
- Häts da es Spitaal i de Nööchi?
- I am/we are lost!
- Ich bin veloore/mer sind verloore
- Can you please tell me where…..is?
- Chönd Si mir säge wo…..isch?
- train station
- Baanhoof
- taxi station
- Taxistand
- bank
- Bank
- post office
- Poscht/Poschtamt
- hotel
- Hotel
- church
- Chile
- I’m in love
- Ich bi verliebt!
- I love you!
- Ich lieb dich!/ I ha di liab!
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Numbers
- 1
- äis (counting), äi (marked), e/en/es *unmarked*
- 2
- zwäi
- 3
- drüü
- 4
- vier
- 5
- föif/füüf
- 6
- sächs/säggs
- 7
- sibe
- 8
- acht
- 9
- nüün
- 10
- zää
- 11
- ölf
- 12
- zwölf
- 13
- driizää
- 14
- vierzää
- 15
- füfzää
- 16
- sächzää
- 17
- sibezää
- 18
- achzää
- 19
- nüûnzää
- 20
- zwänzg
- 21
- einezwänzg
- 22
- zwäiezwänzg
- 23
- drüezwänzg
- 24
- vierezwänzg
- 25
- föifezwänzg
- 26
- sächsezwänzg
- 27
- sibenezwänzg
- 28
- achtezwänzg
- 29
- nünezwänzg
- 30
- drissig
- 40
- vierzig
- 50
- füfzig
- 60
- sächzig
- 70
- sibzig
- 80
- achtzig
- 90
- nünzig
- 100
- hundert
- 101
- hundertundäis
- 102
- hundertzwäi
- 1000
- tuusig
Time
- time
- Ziit
- What time is it?
- Was isch für Ziit?
- It is…
- Es isch …
- one o’clock
- äis
- half past twelve
- halbi äis
- quarter to one
- virtel vor äis
- quarter past one
- virtel ab äis
- ten past one
- zää ab äis
- half past one
- halbi zwäi
- three o’clock
- drüü
- four/five/six/seven/eight/nine/ten/eleven/twelve o’clock
- vieri/föifi/sächsi/sibni/achti/nüüni/zäni/elfi/zwölfi
- a.m.
- am Morge
- p.m.
- am Aabig
Days
- Monday
- Mäntig
- Tuesday
- Zischtig
- Wednesday
- Mittwoch
- Thursday
- Donnstig
- Friday
- Fritig
- Saturday
- Samschtig
- Sunday
- Suntig
Months
- January
- Januaar
- February
- Februaar
- March
- März
- April
- April
- May
- Mai
- June
- Juni
- July
- Juli
- August
- Auguscht
- September
- Septämber
- October
- Oktoober
- November
- Novämber
- December
- Dezämber
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Colors
- Red
- root
- Blue
- blau
- Black
- schwarz
- Green
- grüen
- White
- wiiss
- Yellow
- gälb
- Purple
- violett
- Orange
- orangsch
- Pink
- rosa/pink
- Gray
- grau
Transportation
- Motorcycle
- Töff
- Vespa, Motorbike
- Töffli/ Mofa
- Bicycle
- Velo
- Tram
- Tram
- Bus
- Bus
- Coach
- Räiseggaar
- Train
- Zug
- Airplane
- Flugzüg
- (bus/tram) stop
- Haltestell
Directions
- Where is this bus going to?
- Wo ane faart dä Bus?
- straight ahead
- graad uus
- Left
- links
- right
- rächts
- in front
- vore
- forwards
- voorwärts
- in the back
- hinde
- backwards
- rückwärts
- back
- zrugg
Taxi
- to the ….. hotel please!
- Zum Hotel …… bitte!
- How much does it cost to …, approximately?
- Was choschtets öppe nach …….?
- airport
- Flughafe
- train station
- Baanhoof
- hotel
- Hotel
- I’m in a hurry!
- Ich hans pressant!
- We are in a hurry!
- Mir händs pressant!
- Hurry, please!
- Bitte pressiere!
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Lodging
- Händ Si no es freis Zimmer?
- Do you still have a vacancy?
- Bis wänn söl ich mich abmälde?
- When do I need to check out?
Money
- Gäld / Baargäld, Stutz (coll.), Stütz (coll.)
- cash, money.
- Isch Baargäld okei? Chan ich mit Baargäld bezale?
- Is cash okay? Can I pay with cash?
- Was choschtet das?
- how much is this/that?
- Z tüür!
- Too expensive! (might be very offensive!)
- Das isch mir e chli z’tüür
- That seems to be rather expensive (more polite phrasing)
- Hät’s no billigeres?
- Do you have something cheaper?
- Chan ich mit Krédigcharte zahle?
- Can I use my credit card?
- Trinkgäld
- Tip
- Trinkgäld gää
- Give a tip
- Ich nim das
- I’ll take/buy it
- Ich möcht öppis anders
- I would like something else.
- Händ Si Suwniir(s)?
- Do you have souvenirs?
- Wo chan ich Gäld wächsle?
- Where can I change money?
- Wo isch de nòòggscht Bankomaat?
- Where is the closest ATM?
Eating
- En guete!
- Enjoy your meal!
- Schoggi
- Chocolate
- Proscht, Pröschtli, Prosit!
- Cheers
- Herdöpfel / Erdöpfel
- Potato(es)
- Rüebli
- Carrot(s)
- E Stange, es Chliises
- A small glass of beer
- En Chübel, es Groosses
- A big glass of beer
- Es Glaas Wii
- A glass of wine
- Es Glaas Roote (Wii)
- A glass of red wine
- Es Glaas Wiisse (Wii)
- A glass of white wine
- Oktoobertee
- wine (slang/coll.)
- Chriesi
- cherry/cherries
- Chueche/Flade
- pie, cake
- Gipfeli
- croissant(s)
- Milchkafi, Schale
- cafe au lait
- Kafi grèèm
- coffee
- Bier
- beer
- Suufe
- to drink beer/alcohol
- Schwiizer Chääs
- Swiss cheese
- Rööschti
- mashed, fried potatoes (a Swiss speciality)
- Fongdü
- Fondue (melted Swiss cheese in a bowl, a Swiss speciality, usually eaten during winter-time only)
- Ragglèt
- melted, roasted Swiss cheese (a Swiss speciality, usually eaten during winter-time only)
- Gschnätzlets
- Cut veal
- Züri-Gschnätzlets
- Cut veal, served with Röschti, speciality of Zurich
- Ich würdi gärn e Schwiizer Spézialitäät probiere
- I’d like to taste a Swiss speciality
- Was chönd Si mir empfääle?
- Can you recommend something?
- En Apéritiv
- a starter
Shopping
- Poschte, iichaufe
- Go shopping
- Schoppe
- Shop around
- Wievil choschtet …?
- How much does … cost?
- Gits en Rabatt? Gits en Ermäässigung?
- Is there a discount?
- Wo häts …?
- Where can I find …?
Driving
- driving a car
- Auto faare
- How do I get to the freeway/motorway?
- Wie chum ich zur Autobaan?
- Gasoline/Petrol
- Benziin
- driving license
- Faaruswiis
- traffic rules
- Verchersregle
- accident
- Unfall
- police officer
- Polizischt
- right-hand traffic/driving
- Rächtsvercher (way of driving in Switzerland)
Other
- Händ er de … kaputt gmacht?
- Did you destroy the …?
- Gseet uus wi e gstorbeni Chatz
- Looks like a dead cat.
- Mis Luftchüssiboot isch voller Aal
- My hovercraft is full of eels.
- Heb dini Schnurrä!
- Shut up!
- Hopp Schwiiz !
- Go Switzerland ! (used to encourage the national team in various sports events)
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