Have you just moved to Switzerland and your ear is still getting used to the sound of Swiss German? Or have you been living here for some time and perhaps already speak Swiss German? No matter which of the two applies to you. There are a few words and expressions in the dialect that are true tongue twisters and that make it difficult for both you and the Swiss to pronounce.
We have put together the funniest and most impossible ones for you. Not to demotivate you, but to amuse you. Gather a few of your friends and have fun pronouncing the words aloud in front of each other. Every gathering will instantly turn into a great party.
These 20 words are hard nuts to crack – in alphabetical order
| Swiss German | English |
| Äxgüsi | sorry |
| Bäffzge | to bark |
| Chäschüächli | cheesecake (but salty, more like a quiche) |
| Chöitschgi | chewing gum |
| Chrottepösche | dandelion |
| Chrüsimüsi | a mess |
| Chuchichäschtli | kitchen cupboard |
| Giitzchnäpper | stingy person |
| Gsottniggs | something boiled (a boild eg) |
| Gumelischtunggis | mashed potatoes |
| Güselchübel | trash |
| Hafächäs | stupor, dullness |
| Hemmliglunggi | a badly dressed person |
| Hopzger | frog |
| lamäschelä | to do something very slowly |
| Pfüderi | a small boy |
| Schliefschüandle | ice skating |
| Schnurregiige | harmonica |
| Sibäsiech | all-rounder |
| Töggelichaschte | table football |
Impossible sentences – the content is secondary
In addition to the tongue twister words, there are whole sentences that are incredibly difficult to pronounce. In very few cases they are particularly useful, and you will never need them in your everyday life. It’s all about testing your language skills and having fun again.
| Swiss German | English |
| De Papst hed s Bsteck z schpat bschtellt | The Pope ordered the cutlery too late |
| S`Christchindli und dä Samichlaus ässäd zum Z`Nüni Guetzli und Chäschüechli usem Chuchichäschtli | The Christkind and Santa Claus eat cookies and cheesecakes from the kitchen cupboard as snacks |
| Eusi Lüti lütet lüter weder Lütis Lüti lütet | Our bell is ringing louder than the bell of Lütis is ringing |
| Gang geng gredi gäge Gümlige ga güggele, gob Guggers Gödeli geng ga Garamell gänggele geit (Berner Dialekt) | Go to Gümligen and see if Gottfried Gugger buys caramel candy (Bernese dialect) |
| Z’ Basel uff der Rhybrugg stöhnd drei dööri, hohli, langi, leeri Röhrli und dor die drei dööre, hohle, lange, leere Röhrli lehred d’ Lüüt rächt rede (Basler Dialekt) | On the Rhine bridge in Basel there are three dry, hollow, long, empty tubes and through these three dry, hollow, long, empty tubes, people learn to speak correctly (Basel dialect) |
Unpronounceable village names – but they really exist!
You will never need the above sentences in your everyday life. But there are places in Switzerland that have incredibly difficult names. And they actually exist. So start practicing how to pronounce them. It may be that one day you will actually go there. And then you want to be able to pronounce the name correctly.
| Town name | Location |
| Aathööptere | Near Beggingen (SH) |
| Bäätisrüüti | Near Ermatingen (TG) |
| Chääshaalde | Near Hallau (SH) |
| Chääsrüütistich | Near Ermatingen (TG) |
| Chlooschterhauhaalde | Near Schaffhausen (SH) |
| Dräckig Wääldli | Near Beggingen (SH) |
| Flüüguuf | Near Kreuzlingen(TG) |
| Gäärai | Near Beinwil am See (AG) |
| Öölbärg | Near Bischofszell (TG) |
| Schüböüdä | Near Mels (VS) |
Swiss German is so much more than just tongue twisters
Of course, not all Swiss German vocabulary consists of tongue twisters. With these examples we just wanted to show that it is a lot of fun to learn Swiss German when you can laugh about yourself. Did we motivate you? Then sign up for our online course today and learn not only unspeakable words but also a lot of grammar and interesting facts about Switzerland.