Schwiizerdütsch
Swiss German
Indo-European (Germanic, West, High German, Alemannic)
Swiss German (Schwiizerdütsch / Schweizerdeutsch) is the Alemannic dialect cluster spoken across German-speaking Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It diverges substantially from Standard German in phonology, lexicon, and morphology — including the absence of the preterite tense and distinct High German Consonant Shift outcomes (e.g., k → x, as in chind "child"). Diglossia is the norm: Standard German for writing and formal speech, Swiss German for everyday spoken use including media.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Swiss German
Water
Wasser
/vasːər/
Fire
Füür
/fyːr/
Sun
Sunne
/sʊnə/
Moon
Mond
/moːnd/
Mother
Mueter
/muə̯tər/
Father
Vatter
/fatər/
Eat
ässe
/æsə/
Drink
trinke
/trɪŋkə/
Love
Liebi
/liə̯bi/
Heart
Härz
/hærts/
Tree
Baum
/baʊ̯m/
House
Huus
/huːs/
Dog
Hund
/hʊnd/
Cat
Chatz
/xats/
Hand
Hand
/hand/
Eye
Aug
/aʊ̯ɡ/
Hello
Grüezi
/ɡryə̯tsi/
Thank you
Merci
/mɛrsi/
One
eis
/æɪ̯s/
Good
guet
/ɡuə̯t/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European (Germanic, West, High German, Alemannic) languages
| Meaning | Swiss German | Walser | Walliser German | Swabian | East Franconian | Early New High German (Luther-era) | Kölsch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Wasser /vasːər/ | Wasser /vasːər/ | Wasser /ʋasːər/ | Wasser /vasə/ | Wasser /vasːə/ | Wasser /ˈvasːər/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ |
| Fire | Füür /fyːr/ | Für /fyːr/ | Fyyr /fyːr/ | Feuer /foiɐ/ | Feier /faɪɐ/ | Fewr /foɪ̯r/ | Füer /fyːɐ/ |
| Sun | Sunne /sʊnə/ | Sunna /sʊnːa/ | Sunna /ˈsʊnːa/ | Sonne /sonə/ | Sunn /sʊn/ | Sonne /ˈzɔnə/ | Sonn /zɔn/ |
| Moon | Mond /moːnd/ | Maa /maː/ | Mánu /ˈmaːnʊ/ | Mond /moːnd/ | Maa /maː/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Mond /moːnt/ |
| Mother | Mueter /muə̯tər/ | Müeter /myə̯tər/ | Mu̜eter /ˈmuə̯tər/ | Mädder /mɛdɐ/ | Mudder /mʊdɐ/ | Mutter /ˈmʊtər/ | Moder /moːdɐ/ |
| Father | Vatter /fatər/ | Atti /atːi/ | Vattär /ˈfatːær/ | Vadder /fadɐ/ | Vadder /fadɐ/ | Vater /ˈfaːtər/ | Vatter /fatɐ/ |
| Eat | ässe /æsə/ | ässe /æsə/ | ässu /ˈæsːʊ/ | essa /ɛsə/ | esse /ɛsə/ | essen /ˈɛsːən/ | esse /ɛsə/ |
| Drink | trinke /trɪŋkə/ | trinke /trɪŋkə/ | trichu /ˈtrɪxʊ/ | drengga /dɾɛŋɡə/ | trinke /trɪŋkə/ | trincken /ˈtrɪŋkən/ | drinke /dʁɪŋkə/ |
| Love | Liebi /liə̯bi/ | Liebi /liə̯bi/ | Liebi /ˈliə̯bi/ | Liab /liə̯b/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | Liebe /ˈliːbə/ | Leev /leːf/ |
| Heart | Härz /hærts/ | Hërz /hɛrts/ | Härz /hærts/ | Herz /hɛɐts/ | Herz /hɛrts/ | Hertz /hɛrt͡s/ | Hätz /hɛts/ |
| Tree | Baum /baʊ̯m/ | Boum /boʊm/ | Boum /bɔʊ̯m/ | Baum /baum/ | Bauma /baʊmaː/ | Bawm /baʊm/ | Boum /baʊm/ |
| House | Huus /huːs/ | Hus /huːs/ | Hus /huːs/ | Hous /haus/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Hauß /haʊs/ | Huus /huːs/ |
| Dog | Hund /hʊnd/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hung /hʊŋk/ | Hond /hond/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hongk /hoŋk/ |
| Cat | Chatz /xats/ | Chatz /xats/ | Chatza /ˈxatsa/ | Katz /kats/ | Katz /kats/ | Katze /ˈkat͡sə/ | Katz /kats/ |
| Hand | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hand/ | Handt /hant/ | Hand /hant/ |
| Eye | Aug /aʊ̯ɡ/ | Oug /oʊɡ/ | Oig /ɔɪ̯ɡ/ | Aug /aʊɡ/ | Aach /aːx/ | Aug /aʊk/ | Auch /aʊx/ |
| Hello | Grüezi /ɡryə̯tsi/ | Grüössi /ɡryə̯sːi/ | Tagwol /ˈtaɡʋol/ | Grüß Gott /ɡryːs ɡɔt/ | Grüß Gott /ɡrʏs ɡɔt/ | Gott zum Gruß /ɡɔt t͡sʊm ɡruːs/ | Tach /tax/ |
| Thank you | Merci /mɛrsi/ | Vergelts Gott /fɛrɡɛlts ɡɔt/ | Vergälts Gott /ferˈɡæltsɡot/ | Danggschee /daŋkʃeː/ | Vergelt's Gott /fɛɐɡɛlts ɡɔt/ | Danck /daŋk/ | Dankeschön /daŋkəʃøːn/ |
| One | eis /æɪ̯s/ | eins /æɪ̯ns/ | eis /æɪ̯s/ | oine /ɔinə/ | ans /ans/ | eyn /aɪ̯n/ | ein /aɪn/ |
| Good | guet /ɡuə̯t/ | guet /ɡuə̯t/ | güet /ɡyə̯t/ | guad /ɡuə̯d/ | guad /ɡuə̯d/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | joot /joːt/ |
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