What’s up with the «li» in Switzerland? An explanation for the Swiss German diminutive

What’s up with the «li» in Switzerland? An explanation for the Swiss German diminutive

Swiss German is characterized by the frequent use of the diminutive. This means that nouns are usually “reduced in size” by adding the suffix “li” to them. The counterpart in High German is the ending “chen/lein”. If you don’t speak

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With those Swiss German words you will survive

With those Swiss German words you will survive

In Switzerland we speak Swiss German. Although it comes from High German, it is a dialect of its own. A German from Stuttgart may still understand us, but a German from Hamburg has no chance. Although High German is his

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Moving from the US to Switzerland

Moving from the US to Switzerland

If you are planning on moving to Switzerland from the United States, you will want to be well prepared. It is very important that you take the time to learn about the area and the culture, the language, and the

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Why is Swiss German a dialect and not a language of its own?

Why is Swiss German a dialect and not a language of its own?

If you ask why Swiss German is not a language of its own, but rather ‘mere’ a dialect, you are also asking about the difference between what is termed a language and what is a dialect. This requires some clarification.

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Lausanne – the Olympia of modern times

Lausanne – the Olympia of modern times

The most famous five rings of modern times are not Greek; they are Swiss. In 1915, the chairman of the then IOC, Pierre de Coubertin, declared Lausanne to be the home of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In 1994, the

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How can I learn Swiss-German most effectively? Part one: free resources

How can I learn Swiss-German most effectively? Part one: free resources

As we are always increasing the content on this website, we would like to summarise all the ways you can learn Swiss-German on learn-swiss-german.ch. This three part blog series are designed to help you answer the question of how to learn

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