Most people think of chocolate and cheese when they think of Switzerland, but what about the languages those Swiss folks speak? While the country is small, the number of languages spoken here is impressive! In this article, we’ll explore the exciting world of Swiss language to understand just how diverse this country is.
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What do Swiss Speak?
An Overview of the Four National Languages
As a multilingual country, the four official languages of Switzerland are German, French, Italian, and Romansh. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.
German (Schweizerdeutsch)
German is by far the most widely spoken language in Switzerland, with about 64% of people speaking some form of it as their native language. It is the official language of several cantons, the most populous being Zurich, Basel-Stadt, and Bern. The variety of German spoken in Switzerland, called Swiss German (or Schweizerdeutsch), is quite unique and can be difficult to understand for speakers of Standard German. In fact, it is so remarkably varied that it is often difficult for Swiss German speakers from different regions to understand each other!
French (Français)
French is the second most widely used language with about 23% of the population speaking it as their native language. It is the official language of the cantons of Fribourg, Geneva, Jura, Neuchâtel, Vaud and Valais. Swiss French has many distinctive characteristics and is quite unique. For instance, Swiss French often uses diminutive forms to express familiarity.
Italian (Italiano)
Italian is spoken by about 8.4% of the population and is the official language of the canton of Ticino. Swiss Italian or Ticinese is a variety of Italian that has been strongly influenced by other regional languages. For example, typical Ticinese dialect features include copulative verbs, as well as the use of the termination “-ig”, “øg”, and “-a”.
Romansh (Rumantsch)
Romansh is a Romance language and is spoken in the canton of Graubünden. Despite only being spoken by around 0.5% of the population, Romansh is a recognized national language in Switzerland, due to its cultural heritage and its status as a minority language. It lives on through its literary works, some of which date back to the 16th century!
In Switzerland, there is truly something for everyone with its beautiful landscapes, delicious cuisine and rich history – and the same goes for its languages! German, French, Italian and Romansh provide a dazzling array of diversity and culture, and are part of what makes Switzerland such a unique and thrilling country. So no matter what language you prefer to communicate in, you’re sure to have a blast in this amazing country!