Whether you’re visiting Switzerland for the gorgeous landscapes, the famous chocolate or the award-winning cheeses, one thing you’ll quickly notice is that Switzerland is a multilingual country. Depending on which region you visit, you might hear multiple languages – and it can be confusing to know exactly which language the Swiss speak. The answer can be quite complex, so let’s take a closer look.
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The Language of the Swiss
The Swiss speak a variety of languages, depending on what region of the country you visit. The four official languages of the country are German, French, Italian, and Romansh, so if you speaking one of these languages you’ll be able to communicate with the locals.
German in Switzerland
Focusing on the German speaking region, the German dialect spoken in Switzerland is not the same as the standard German spoken across much of Europe. While natives of Germany will be able to understand the Swiss German dialect, it can be tough for the average German speaker.
In the Swiss German region, you’ll often hear the phrase “Schwyzerdütsch”, which literally translates to “Swiss German”. Language experts don’t agree on whether Swiss German should be considered it’s own language or a dialect of German, but the unique words, phrases and pronunciation of Swiss German make it very distinct from standard German.
French in Switzerland
In the French-speaking region of Switzerland things can get even more complicated, as people often mix in terms from the Swiss French dialect. It should be straightforward for a native French speakers to understand the language spoken in this part of the country, but that doesn’t necessarily make it easy to speak.
Swiss French is composed of different French dialects, local patois, German and Italian terms, as well as regional French terms. This mix of language forms can be intriguing and exciting but maddening at the same time, especially for French speakers with no exposure to Swiss French.
Italian and Romansh
The good news is that if you’re visiting the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland you shouldn’t experience too many surprises. While there are some regional terms and dialects that can be confusing, the Italian spoken in Switzerland is pretty close to Standard Italian.
Lastly, there is another official language in Switzerland: Romansh. This language is mainly spoken in the South-eastern part of the country and it belongs to the Rhaetian family, a group of languages spoken in many parts of Switzerland, Austria, Northern Italy, and Germany.
So, as you can see, when it comes to the language of the Swiss it can be quite confusing. But if you know the local language, you’ll be able to more easily navigate your way through the country, try the delicious mountain cheese, and even find that perfect Swiss chocolate. So whatever language you may know, give it a try and explore all that Swiss has to offer!