Swiss-German phrasebook

Swiss-German (Schweizerdeutsch in Standard German; some endonyms are Schwyzerdütsch, Schwiizertüütsch or Schwizertitsch) is a broad category of Germanic dialects spoken in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

These dialects are 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".

You are unlikely to have to learn Swiss-German, as all German-speaking Swiss educated in modern-day schools are also able to speak standard German. Nevertheless, saying a few words in Swiss-German will undoubtedly impress the locals.

Swiss German is different from Swiss Standard German (Schweizer Hochdeutsch), which is a variant of standard German for formal speech and writing in Switzerland, with some vocabulary differences, such as das Tram ("streetcar", Straßenbahn or die Tram in standard German) and Billett ("ticket", Fahrkarte, Fahrschein or Ticket in standard German).

Neither Swiss German nor Swiss Standard German use the Eszett (ß), and typically use a double s (ss) instead in its place.

Pronunciation guide

Note that most of the following Swiss-German phrases and words are written as they would be pronounced by people living in the area around Bern, Basel, Zürich (i.e. in the canton of Bern, etc.). Whilst the Bernese dialect is widely understood in the Swiss-German part of Switzerland, it's by no means "official" Swiss-German (despite the fact that Bern is the Swiss capital). There is no standardized Swiss-German ("Schwyzerdüütsch"), and it is standard German that is an official language in Switzerland. Remarkably, the native dialects spoken in the many Swiss-German cantons are clearly distinguishable by locals (i.e. they can tell apart from the dialect in which canton somebody grew up). 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 the Swiss-German dialect is particularly popular in informal writing (e.g. in e-mail messages, SMS messages etc.). With 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.

For official signs and documents, standard German is used.

Vowels

The vowels in Swiss German are unlike the English vowels. They are closer to the German and Latin pronunciations.

Pronunciation Guide:

• a - ah (as in saw)
• e - eh (as in end)
• i - e (as in eel)
• o -oh (as in on)
• u - oo (as in moose)

Phrase list

Basics

Hello/Hi (informal)

Hoi!

Hi, everyone! (informal)

Hoi zäme!

Hi (very informal)

Saluti! [salooti!] / Saletti!

Hello (formal)

Grüezi! [Grea-atsie] / Grüessech! [Grea-sec]

Hello, Ms./Mr. ... (formal)

Grüezi/Grüessech Frau/Herr ...

Hello, everyone (formal)

Grüezi mitenand! [Grea-tsi metta-nònd] / Grüessech mitenang!: Hoi: Hi (informal)

Grüezi/Grüessech Frau/Herr

Hello (formal)

Guete Morge

Good morning (informal and formal)

Guete Abig/Abe

Good evening (informal and formal)

Schöne Hinicht/Abig

Have a pleasant evening (informal and formal)

Problems

i(ch) ha(n) mi(s) Portmonnaie verlore!

I lost my wallet! (ch, n, s = variants, depending on the dialect)

i(ch) fühl mi(ch) schlächt

I feel sick/not well/upset (ch = variant)

wo isch de Polizei Poschte?

where is the police station?

i(ch) mues öppis mälde

I have to/must report something (ch = variant)

Spital

Hospital

Hät's da es Spital i de Nöchi?

is there a hospital nearby?

i(ch) ha(n) mi(ch) velaufe/mer händ eus verlaufe

I/we am/are lost!! (ch, n = variant)

bitte säged sie mir wo.....isch?

Can you please tell me where.....is?

Bahnhof

train station

Taxi Stand

taxi station

Bank

Bank

Poscht

post office

Hotel " "

the " " hotel

Chile

church

i(ch) bi(n) verliebt!

I'm in love

i(ch) liib di(ch)!

I love you!

Numbers

1

eis, äis, ais, eins

2

zwei, zwöi, zwai

3

drü, drai, drei

4

vier

5

foif, fföif, füüf, fünf

6

sächs, säggs

7

sibe, sebe, siebe

8

acht

9

nün

10

zäh, zehn

11

elf, euf

12

zwölf, zwöuf

13

drizäh

14

vierzäh

15

füfzäh

16

sächzäh

17

sibzäh

18

achzäh

19

nünzäh

20

zwänzg, zwanzig

21

einezwänzg, einezwanzig

22

zweiezwänzg, zweiezwanzig, zwöiezwänzg

23

drüezwänzg, dreiezwanzig

24

vierezwänzg, vierezwanzig

25

foifezwänzg, fünfezwanzig, füüfezwänzg

26

sächsezwänzg, säggsezwanzig

27

sibenezwänzg, siebenezwanzig

28

achtezwänzg, achtezwanzig

29

nünezwänzg, nünezwanzig

30

driss(i)g

40

vierz(i)g

50

füfzg, fuffzig

60

sächz(i)g

70

sibezg, siebzig

80

achtz(i)g

90

nünz(i)g

100

hundert

101

hundertundäis, hundertundeis

102

hundertzwöi

Clock time

time

Zit

What time is it?

Was isch für zit?

It is...

Es isch ...

one o'clock

eis

half past twelve

halbi eis

quarter to one

viertel vor eis

ten to one

zäh vor eis

quarter past one

virtel ab eis

ten past one

zäh ab eis

half past one

halbi zwoi

Duration

Wie lang gohts bis ... (How long does it take to...) Wie lang het me bis....?

Days

Mänti(g)
Zyschti(g)
Mittwuch
Dunnschti(g)
Fryti(g)
Samschti(g)
Sunnti(g)

Months

January

Januar

February

Februar

March

März, Merz

April

April

May

Mai

June

Juni

July

Juli

August

Auguscht

September

Septämber

October

Oktober

November

Novämber

December

Dezämber

Writing time and date

date

Datum

tenth of January, 2009

zähte erste zwoitusignün

Colors

Red

rot

Blue

blau

Black

schwarz

Green

grüen

White

wiiss

Yellow

gäl(b)

Purple

violet

Orange

orange (orah-nsh)

Pink

rosa/pink

Gray

grau

Transportation

Motorcycle - Töff, Döff

Vespa, Motorbike - Töffli, Döffli, Mofa

Bicycle - Velo

Tram (Streetcar) - Tram, Drämmli

Bus, train, plane

Bus, car - bus

Reisecar - travel bus

Zug - train

Flugzüg, Flüüger - airplane

Directions

graad uus - straight ahead

links - left

rächts - right

vore, vorne - in front

vüre, vürschi, vorwärts - forwards

hinde, hinge - in the back

hindere, rückwärts, zrugg - backwards, back

Taxi

Zum Hotel ...... bitte! - to the ..... hotel please!

was koschtet's öppe nach .......? - How much does it cost to ....., approximately?

Flughafe - airport

Bahnhof - train station

Hotel .... - ..... hotel

i(ch) ha(n)'s pressant! - I'm in a hurry!

mir händ's pressant! - We are in a hurry!

Bitte pressiere! - Hurry, please!

Money

Gäld / Bargäld, Stutz (coll.), Stütz (coll.)

cash, money.

isch Bargäld ok? mit Bargäld bezahle?

can I pay with cash? pay with cash?

Was koschtet das?

how much is this/that?

Z'tüür! (Zu teuer)

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?

Chann i(ch) mit Kreditkarte zahle?

Can I use my Credit Card?

Trinkgäld (gäh)

Tip (Tipping)

I(ch) nimm das

I'll take/buy it (i pronounced like "e" in english)

I(ch) möcht öppis anders

I would like something else.

Händ si Souvenirs?

Do you have souvenirs?

Wo chan i(ch) Gäld wächsle?

Where can I change money?

Wo isch de nächscht Bankomat?

Where is the closest ATM?

Eating

En guete!

Enjoy your meal!

Schoggi

Chocolate

Proscht, Pröschtli, Prosit!

Cheers

Herdöpfel / Erdöpfel

Potato(es) (pronounced hadopfel / erdoplfel)(Erdöpfel would roughly translate to "earth apple" similar to the French Pom De Terre.)

Rüebli

Carrot(s)

Ä Stangä, es Chliises

A small glass of beer

En Chübel, es Grosses

A big glass of beer

Es Glas Wii

A glass of wine

Es Glas Rote (Wii)

A glass of red wine

Es Glas Wysse (Wii)

A glass of white wine

Oktobertee

wine (slang/coll.)

Chriesi

cherry/cherries

Chueche

pie

Gipfeli

croissant(s)

Milchkafi, Schale

cafe au lait

Kafi crème

coffee

Bier

beer

Suufe

to drink beer/alcohol...

Schwiizer Chääs

Swiss cheese

Röschti

mashed, fried potatoes (a Swiss speciality)

Fondue

Fondue (melted Swiss cheese in a bowl, a Swiss speciality, usually eaten during winter-time only)

Raclette

melted, roasted Swiss cheese (a Swiss speciality, usually eaten during winter-time only)

Züri-Gschnätzlets

Cut veal, often served with Röschti, speciality of Zurich

I(ch) würd(i) gern e Schwiizer Spezialität probiere

I'd like to taste a Swiss speciality

Was chönd Sie mir empfehle?

Can you recommend something?

Bars

e Schtange, es Chliises

A small glass of beer

en Chübel, es Grosses

A large glass of beer

en/es Aperitiv

a starter

Pröschtli!, zum Wohlsii!

Cheers!

Chueche, Cake, Flade

Cake

Shopping

Poschtä, iichaufe

Going shopping

Wieviel choschtet ...?

How much does ... cost?

Gits en Rabatt? Gits en Ermässigung?

Can you give me a discount?

Wo häts ...?

Where can I find ...?

Driving

Auto fahre

driving a car

Wo ane fahrt dä bus?

Where is this bus going to?

Fahruswiis

driving license

Verkehrsregle

traffic rules

Unfall

accident

Polizischt

police officer

Rechtsverkehr

right-hand traffic/driving (The driving style used in most of Europe, including Switzerland): Linksverkehr: Left-hand traffic/driving (The driving style used in the UK; avoid in Switzerland)

Other

Händ ihr de ... kaputt gmacht?

Did you destroy the ...?