Swiss-German phrasebook

Table of Contents

Pronunciation guide / Vowels / Consonants / Common diphthongs / Phrase list / Basics / Problems / Numbers / Time / Clock time / Duration / Days / Months / Writing time and date / Colors / Transportation / Bus Train Plane / Directions / Taxi / Lodging / Money / Eating / Swiss-German phrasebook nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Shopping / Driving / Other

Swiss-German is considerably different from German, especially as it happens in regards 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".

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 bernese dialect is widely understood in the Swiss-German part of Switzerland, it's by no means "official" Swiss-German (despite of the fact that Bern is the Swiss capital). There is no standardized Swiss-German ("Schwyzerdüütsch"). 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 Swiss-German dialect is particularly popular among the youths (e.g. in e-mail messages, SMS messages 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.

For official documents, standard German is used.

Vowels

Consonants

Common diphthongs

Phrase list

Basics

Hello: Grüezi, hoi! saluti! (also: saletti)
Hello everyone/hi there: Grüezi mittenand
Hi everyone: hoi zäme

Problems

ich (i) (y) ha mi Portmonnaie verlore!: I lost my wallet! (i,y=like english "e")
ich fühl mi schlächt: I feel sick/not well/upset
wo isch dr Polizei Poschte?: where is the police station?
i mües öppis määlde: I have to/must report something
Spital: Hospital
Het's es Spital in dr Nöchi: is there a hospital nearby?
i bi velore/mir sind verlore: I/we am/are lost!!
bitte sage si mir wo.....isch?: Can you please tell me where.....is?
Bahnhof: train station
Taxi Stand: taxi station
Bank: Bank
PTT: post office (prononced="pay-tay-tay")
Hotel " ": the " " hotel
Chile: church

Numbers

1 eis, äis, ais, eins
2 zwöi, zwai
3 drü, drai
4 vier
5 fföif, füüf, fünf
6 sächs
7 sebe, sibä
8 acht
9 nün
10 zäh, zehn

11 elf
12 zwölf
13 drizäh
14 vierzäh
15 füfzäh
16 sächzäh
17 sibzäh
18 achzäh
19 nünzäh
20 zwänzg

21 einezwänzg
22 zwöiezwänzg
23 drüezwänzg
24 vierezwänzg
25 föifezwänzg
26 sächsezwänzg
27 sebenezwänzg
28 achtezwänzg
29 nünezwänzg
30 drissg

40 vierzg
50 füfzg
60 sächzg
70 sibezg
80 achtzg
90 nünzg
100 hundert

101 hundertundäis
102 hundertzwöi

Time

Clock time

Duration

Wie lang gahts bis ... (How long does it take to...) Wie lang het ma bis....? (dito) Brüch's vyyl Zyt bis....ane ? (dito)

Days

Mäntig, Mentig
Tsischtig
Mittwuch
Donnschtig
Fritig
Samschtig
Sunntig

Months

Januar
Februar
März, Merz
April
Mai
Juni
Juli
Auguscht
Septämber
Oktober
Novämber
Dezämber

Writing time and date

Colors

Red - Rot.

Blue - blau.

Black - schwartz.

Green - gruen.

White - Weiss - "vice".

Yellow - gäl(b).

Purple - violet.

Orange - orange "oransh".

Pink - rosa.

Gray - grau.

Transportation

Motorcycle - Töff, Döff

Vespa, Motorbike - Döffli

Bicycle - Velo

Tram (Streetcar) - Tram, Drämmli

Bus Train Plane

Bus, Car - Bus Reisecar, Kälberwaage- travel bus Zug-train Flugzüg- airplane,

Directions

gerad uus-straight ahead
links-left
rächts-right
vore-ahead, in front
hintere-back, in the back

Taxi

Hotel......bitte- to the.....hotel please was koschtet's eppe nach.......?- approximately how much to.....? Flughafe- airport Bahnhof- train station Hotel....-.....hotel i ha es pressant!- i'm in a hurry! mir han's pressant!-we are in a hurry!

Lodging

Money

Gäld / Bargäld: cash, money.
isch Bargäld ok? mit Bargäld bezähle?: 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!)
Het's no Billigeres?: Do you have something cheaper?
Chann i mit Kreditkarte zahle?: Can I use my Credit Card?
Trinkgäld (gäh): Tip (Tipping)
Ich (i) nimm das: I'll take/buy it (i pronounced like "e" in english)
I möcht öppis anders: I would like something else.
Händ si Souvenirs?: Do you have souvenirs?

Eating

Enjoy your meal - En guete; Schoggi - Chocolate (gg is often pronounced as 'ck,' thus 'schocki'); Cheers - Proscht, Pröstli*; Potato(es) - Herdöpfel; Carrot(s) - Rüebli; A small glass of beer - stangä; Glass of wine- s'Glas Wyy rot=red, wyss=white
Chriesi - cherry
Chuchi - pie

,Gipfeli- croissant

Herdöpfel- potatoes
Oktobertee- wine
Challa- cafe au lait