Swiss-German phrasebook
From Wikitravel
Contents
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".
[edit] 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.
[edit] Vowels
[edit] Consonants
[edit] Common diphthongs
[edit] Phrase list
[edit] Basics
- Hoi!
- hello/hi (informal)
- Hoi zäme!
- hi everyone (informal)
- Saluti! [salooti!] Saletti!
- hi (very informal)
- Grüezi! [Grea-atsie]
- hello (formal)
- Grüezi Frau/Herr ...!
- hello Ms/Mr ... (formal)
- Grüezi mitenand! [Grea-tsi metta-nònd]
- hello everyone (formal)
[edit] Problems
- ich ha(n) mi(s) Portmonnaie verlore!
- I lost my wallet! (n, s = variants, depending on the dialect)
- ich fühl mi(ch) schlächt
- I feel sick/not well/upset (ch = variant)
- wo isch de Polizei Poschte?
- where is the police station?
- ich mues öppis mälde
- I have to/must report something
- Spital
- Hospital
- Hät's da es Spital i de Nöchi?
- is there a hospital nearby?
- ich bi(n) velore/mir sind verlore
- I/we am/are lost!! (n = variant)
- bitte säged sie mir wo.....isch?
- Can you please tell me where.....is?
- Bahnhof
- train station
- Taxi Stand
- taxi station
- Bank
- Bank
- Post
- post office (prononced="pay-tay-tay")
- Hotel " "
- the " " hotel
- Chile
- church
- ich bi(n) verliebt!
- I'm in love
- ich lib dech!
- I love you!
[edit] Numbers
1 eis, äis, ais, eins
2 zwei, zwöi, zwai
3 drü, drai
4 vier
5 foif, fföif, füüf, fünf
6 sächs
7 sibe, sebe
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 zweiezwänzg
23 drüezwänzg
24 vierezwänzg
25 foifezwänzg
26 sächsezwänzg
27 sibenezwänzg
28 achtezwänzg
29 nünezwänzg
30 drissg
40 vierzg
50 füfzg
60 sächzg
70 sibezg
80 achtzg
90 nünzg
100 hundert
101 hundertundäis
102 hundertzwöi
[edit] Clock time
Zit (time) Was esch för zit? (what time is it?) Es esch .... (It is ....) eis (one o'clock) halbi eis (half past twelfe) viertel vor eis (quater to one) zäh vor eis (ten to one) virtel ab eis (quarter past one) zäh ab eis (ten past one) halbi zwoi (half past one)
[edit] Duration
Wie lang gohts bis ... (How long does it take to...) Wie lang het me bis....? (dito) Duretslang bes of? (dito)
[edit] Days
Mäntig, Mentig
Zischtig
Mittwoch
Dunnschtig, Donnschtig
Fritig
Samschtig
Sonntig
[edit] Months
Januar
Februar
März, Merz
April
Mai
Juni
Juli
Auguscht
Septämber
Oktober
Novämber
Dezämber
[edit] Writing time and date
Datom (date) zähte erste zwoitusignün (tenth of january twothousandnine)
[edit] Colors
Red - Rot.
Blue - blau.
Black - schwarz.
Green - grüen.
White - Wiiss.
Yellow - gäl(b).
Purple - violet.
Orange - orange "oransh".
Pink - rosa/pink.
Gray - grau.
[edit] Transportation
- Motorcycle - Töff, Döff
- Vespa, Motorbike - Töffli, Döffli
- Bicycle - Velo
- Tram (Streetcar) - Tram, Drämmli
[edit] Bus Train Plane
- Bus, Car - Bus
- Reisecar - travel bus
- Zug - train
- Flugzüg, Flüüger - airplane
[edit] Directions
- graad uus - straight ahead
- links - left
- rächts - right
- vore, vorne - in front
- vüre, vürschi, vorwärts - forwards
- hinde - in the back
- hindere, rückwärts, zrugg - backwards, back
[edit] 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
- ich ha(n)'s pressant! - I'm in a hurry!
- mir händ's pressant! - We are in a hurry!
- Bitte pressiere! - Hurry, please!
[edit] Lodging
[edit] Money
- Gäld / Bargäld, Stutz (coll.), Stütz (coll.)
- 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!)
- 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 ich 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/Ich möcht öppis anders
- I would like something else.
- Händ si Souvenirs?
- Do you have souvenirs?
- Wo chan ich Gäld wächsle?
- Where can I change money?
- Wo isch de nächscht Bankomat?
- Where is the closest ATM?
[edit] Eating
- En guete!
- Enjoy your meal!
- Schoggi
- Chocolate (gg is often pronounced as 'ck,' thus 'schocki')
- Proscht, Pröschtli, Prosit!
- Cheers
- Herdöpfel
- Potato(es)
- 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, Challa
- 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
- Ich würdi gern e Schwiizer Spezialität probiere
- I'd like to taste a Swiss speciality
- Was chönd Sie mir empfehle?
- Can you recommend something?
[edit] Bars
- e Schtange, es Chliises
- A small glass of beer
- en Chübel, es Grosses
- A large glass of beer
- en Aperitiv
- a starter
- Chueche, Cake, Flade
- Cake
[edit] 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 ...?
[edit] 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 (that's the way to drive in Switzerland)
[edit] Other
- Händ ihr de ... kaputt gmacht?
- Did you destroy the ...?
- Hoi
- Hi (informal)
- Grüezi Frau/Herr
- Hello (formal)
- Guete Morge
- Good morning (informal and formal)
- Guete Abig
- Good evening (informal and formal)
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