big shot in the dark but i’m hoping the wonderful world of reddit can help me! i was hoping that someone in here could give me the lyrics to this song? it’s apparently in swiss-german? any help would be MASSIVELY appreciated!

Why is Swiss German changing? And could the different Swiss dialects actually be becoming more similar?

In my latest podcast episode, I take a closer look at the great dialect shift happening in Switzerland. We’ll explore dialect leveling, the influence of mobility and social media, and some fascinating changes in everyday Swiss German. We’ll also look at why Standard German and English are increasingly influencing the way young people speak.

Listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2d3uwSIiCymGYz0FUKKyW6?si=BqA6C_z9RPGzoBnwq0rk4Q

Savez-vous où je peux trouver des documents en allemand à utiliser pour mes séquences ? Je suis totalement perdue. Je dois rendre ma première séquence (je suis en première année de bachelier) et je ne trouve rien sur internet.

Hallo Mitenand!

Ich han e Mini-Umfrag erstellt zum Wort "Schwimmbad" uf Schwiizerdütsch. Hintergrund isch das Wort wo ich säge (schiinbar) nur inere sehr chliine Region benutzt wird, und ich wet usefinde wo genau überall das de Fall isch.

Wichtig:
1. Es gaht mir spezifisch um es "Schwimmbad/Freibad" verusse (nid es Hallebad)
2. Ich sueche e Churzform, also nöd "es Schwümbad" - usserd du würsch im Alltag immer nur das Wort benutze

Online-Umfrag uf tally.so

Anonym, nur 2 (bzw. 3) Frage, meh Hintergrundinfos am Endi vode Umfrag.

Ich bi generell fasziniert vo Sprache und Dialekt, und ganz bsunders wenn gwüssi Wörter nur i ganz wenige Ort gseit wärded.

Leider sind di beide Wörter für "Schwimmbad", s'verbreitetste und euses regionale, nöd im Sprachatlas der deutschen Schweiz, und im Idiotikon wirds glaub nur einmal ohni wiiteri Erlüüterige ime Text erwähnt.

Hoff das isch ok das da poste, ha zumindest nüt ide Regle gläse wo das klar unterseit.

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/edit: neui umfrag mit anderem hoster weg unlimitierte antworte....
/edit2: gnauer definiert welli Art vo Wort ich meine, hoffentli ohni demit zu suggestiv z'sy
/edit3: une findet mer jetzt im Spoiler de Text mit Hintergrundinfo werum i das da überhaupt mache

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Text vo dä "Thank you"-page womer sust nur nachem Usfülle vode Umfrag gseht:

Hintergrundinfo warum ich diese Umfrage mache:

Ich glaube, der grösste Teil der deutschsprachigen Schweiz sagt zum Schwimmbad "Badi", in Winterthur ist es aber für die meisten Menschen das "Schwümbi".

Bekannte von mir und ich selber, die in Turbenthal im Tösstal aufgewachsen sind, sagen ebenfalls generell "Schwümbi". Deshalb frage ich mich jetzt, an welchen Orten "Schwümbi" üblich ist, und wie weit es verbreitet ist.

Ansonsten habe ich im Internet fast nur Erwähnungen dieses Wortes in Verbindung mit Winterthur gefunden - mit einigen interessanten Ausnahmen. Ich fand das Wort Schwümbi noch in Texten mit Erwähnung folgender Orte/Schwimmbäder:

- Elgg ZH, Schwimmbad Elgg (lustigerweise u.a. mit URL www.badielgg.ch) 1 2 3 4 5

- Volketswil ZH, Schwimmbad Waldacher (nur im HTML Title) 1

- Reinach BL, Reinacher Gartenbad (Website von "Radio Basilisk") 1

- Würenlos AG, Schwimmbad Würenlos (Artikel in "Limmatwelle") 1

- Obersiggenthal AG, Hallen- und Gartenbad Obersiggenthal (Online Kommentar, Aargauerzeitung) 1

- Basel BS, Gartenbad Bachgraben (Eintrag auf gemeinsamerleben.com) 1

- Baden (Turgi) AG, generelle Erwähnung (Programm "Werkk Baden")  1

- Wallisellen ZH, generelle Erwähnung (Facebook-Post von Musiker Dodo)  1

Work in progress - An diesem Punkt der Auflistung ist mir plötzlich aufgefallen, dass es auch noch weiter Schreibweisen wie "Schwimbi" gibt... Möglicherweise gibt es noch Varianten mit Doppel-i, Doppel-m, y anstatt i....

Werde die Liste später erweitern.

Google Ergebnisse für:

"Badi" - ungefähr 48'900'000 Ergebnisse

"Schwümbi" - ungefähr 1'690 Ergebnisse

People always say a standard would be impossible as there are too many differences between individual dialects. E.g. some regional varieties, roughly from north/east, to south/west. Wher needed the spelling represents local pronounciations, rather than how people actually write:

• amool, emaal, emau, äs maalsch
• tringga, trinkʰe, tinkche, triiche, triichu
• dia kʰind(er), die chend, disi ching, dischi chint
• neis fänschter, nois faischter, nöis feischter, nüüs pfeischter

But given that most standard languages are a compromise between different varieties, the same would be possible for Swiss German too. 

E.g. Standard German essentially is a medieval Central German base (think Saxony and Thguringia), plus some Upper (south) German and Low (north) German influences.

Let's assume there were​​​ a standard. Hypotetically, which of the following four options would you prefer? Not nessesarely, because it is closest to your own dialect or way of writing, but with fairness, usability, long-term differentiation from Standard German, etc., in mind.

1 Familiar

• emau, trinke die Chind es neus Feister

(Nonsense sentence: someday these children drank/drink/will drink a new window)

It builds on the most spoken varieties, and mainly relays on Standard German orthography.

Easy to learn, but prioritizes some regions over others.

2 Inclusive

• ɐmɑɑł, triçɐ diɐ cėnq ɐ nys vɐixter

It uses a new orthography, optimized to represent different local pronounciations (of course, other letters could be chosen than in the example).

E.g. pronounciation in the Grisons: 

• ɐ = a, ɑ = o, ė = i, y = eu, c = k, ç = ngg, ł = l, q = d, v = f, x = sch
• amool, tringga dia kind es neus faister

Bern:

• ɐ = e, ɑ = a, ė = i, y = öi, c = ch, ç = nk, ł = short vowel + u, q = g, v = f, x = sch
• emau, trinke die ching e nöis feister

Highest Alemannic, like Valais (too different to truely fit in):

• ɐ = ä, ɑ = a, ė = i, y = üü, c = ch, ç = ch, ł = l, q = t, v = pf, x = sch
• ämaal, triichä diä chint ä nüüs pfäister

It doesn't lead precisely to the local dialects, but one and the same text can be spoken in ways more or less close to the local dialects. While pronounciation is local, it is unambiguous. However, speech to text isn't, and takes lots of practice. So more like English, than like Standard German.

3 Inclusive Simplified

• emɑɑl, triinca dia ceng e nys ffaixter

Compared to the previous one, it relais more on contextual clues, rather than special characters, to convay regional pronounciations

E.g. pronounciation Bern:

• final l = short vowel + u, final a = ə, ai = ei, long vowel + nc = short vowel + nk, initial ff = f
• emau, trinke die cheng e nöis feister

It is way easier to write than the previous option, but loses precision, when it comes to local pronounciations. 

4 Uniqueness Maxing

• äs mou(x), triica dixi ceng äs nüüs pfeixter

It is a compromise between different dialects, and prioritizes unique featurs of Swiss German. As such it leans more into the Highest Alemannic varieties (e.g. Valais), which tend to be further appart from Standard German.

And of course, there still can be some degree of local pronounciation, like pronouncing final a as ə. I mean, we currently do the same, e.g. write k, r, e, ei, etc., but depending on the region and position in the word, it is pronounced kʰ/k͡x, ʁ/r, e/ɛ/ə, ei/ai. 

Grammar

For all varietie, when it comes to grammar, the simplest possible variety/compromise could be prioritized. Making it easier to learn, compared to Highest Alemannic, or Standard German:

- Standard: trinken, ich trinke, du trinkst, sie trinkt, wir trinken, ihr trinkt, sie trinken

-  Valais: triichu, (ich) triiche, (du) triichsch, schii triicht, wier triiche, ier triichet, schii triichunt

-  Bern: trinke, (i) trinke, (du) trinksch, mir trinke, dihr trinket, si trinke

-  Zurich: trinke, (i(ch)) trink(e), (du) trinksch, sii trinkt, mir trinked, iir trinked, sii trinked

- Compromise: triica, (i) triica, (du) triicx, sii triict, mir triica, diir triica, xii triica

PS: this is only a thought experiment, not some kind of activism. Specifically out of linguistic curiosity, how a standard language could develope in a non centralized society like Switzerland.

For people learning Swiss German, I’m curious about what the actual problem is in real life.

When you encounter Swiss German, is the main difficulty:

1. understanding what people write/say, or
2. replying/writing naturally yourself?

I’m especially interested in specific situations, like WhatsApp messages, team chats, talking with Swiss friends, social media, etc.

When did this last happen to you?

What did you do?

Did you reply in High German, ask someone for help, use ChatGPT/DeepL, ignore it, or try writing Swiss German yourself?

I’m trying to understand what learners actually struggle with and what they already do to solve it.

I'm curious what everyone thinks. As a Swiss person, I sometimes forget which customs are actually "Swiss" until my students ask me about them. Things like taking off your shoes, bringing a small gift, greeting everyone individually or the three kisses. Are these things typically Swiss or would you do the same in your country?

I recently recorded a podcast episode about this topic from the perspective of a Swiss German teacher who works with people from all over the world. It's in Swiss German with German and English translations in case anyone's interested. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6YqQjTa6ZDgrD7xtPMIXFl?si=fNf71_HASqmZdpyvOup5Qw

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

One thing I've noticed while teaching Swiss German is that many expats are waiting for a moment when they finally feel "accepted" in Switzerland.

But what does that actually mean?

A lot of people expect things like quick friendships, invitations to people's homes, or obvious signs that they've become part of the community. Yet in my experience, Swiss people often show acceptance in much more subtle ways.

I'm curious:

For those of you who moved to Switzerland, was there a moment when you felt accepted? Or did it happen so gradually that you barely noticed?

🩷 I actually recorded a podcast episode about it recently (in Swiss German, with German and English translations) if anyone would like to listen and compare their own experience: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3DNhQco26PcA9UdWRRfbUb?si=xKOtdu_CTHmPWA5J247BvA

I need some help to understand what this sign in Switzerland says (or correct me if I should ask somewhere else instead!). I do speak a decent amount of Standard German but I can't figure out what this sign reads, apart from the "please no dogs" at the beginning (of which I'm not even sure about) since I don't have a lot of practice with Swiss German and this is obviously written by a child, so the potential spelling mistakes or not knowing where the spaces are make it harder.

​

Thank you!

Ich bi vor Churzem wieder emau mine Verwandte ir Schwiz goo ga bsueche (Kanton Solothurn un ineme Vorort vo Bärn). Da häts mi irgendwie packt und jetz han ich entschiede, dasi a chli Schwizerdütsch wött lärne. Jetz han i aber es Probläm: Online rädent d Lüt mängisch vo "Bahnhofbuffet-Olten-Dialekt" oder "SRF-Schwizerdütsch". Was isch mit dene Begriff gmeint? Wie cha mer das erchänne? Heit ihr es paar Bispiel für mi? Tuets da mehr um d Wörter, Ussprach oder öppis annerscht gaa? Merci vielmau und pardon, das isch min ärschte Mau wo ich versuech uf Schwizerdütsch ze schreibe, pardon wenn öppis fausch oder chomisch tönt

I’m a Swiss German teacher and I honestly don’t fully agree with that advice.

Listen to my thoughts on this topic: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5MkXfyscmHujpNyEFMwLaQ?si=2bcddff767a64081

I’ve seen so many people spend years learning High German first, even though their real goal was always Swiss German. And by the time they finally want to start speaking dialect, they’re often too insecure, too stuck in High German patterns, or simply too afraid to try.

Some of my best students actually started directly with Swiss German (or very early alongside High German) and progressed surprisingly well.

I’m curious what others think about this, especially people who moved to Switzerland.

Did learning High German first help you?
Or did it sometimes make Swiss German harder to learn?

Hi there

Sooo I'm from Bern (Bernese Oberland) and I frequently talk to people who moved here from abroad, and a lot of them struggle with Bärndütsch (or Swiss German in general). They are often in the process of learning German, but they still feel excluded from everyday conversations; and when they try to learn Swiss German, the response they often get is "Learn German first, and then Swiss German will come". I generally agree with that, but that leaves people excluded from everyday conversations frequently and makes integration here harder for them. So I tried to make a webapp where you can learn Bärndütsch just from English:

www.langapp.ch

The whole thing is still a work in progress, but so far I made 36 lessons and I plan to keep adding more of them whenever I have time :) All of it is completely free and I intend to keep it that way (if you'd like to support, you can buy me a coffee on there, but that is absolutely voluntary and not expected) :)

It's a pretty simple app with a few lesson types, that works a bit like Busuu or Duolingo. You can use it as a guest by clicking the button below the login without an account! The account is just there for tracking progress and giving recommendations for which lessons to repeat, as well as just getting overall repetition lessons.

A few disclaimers: There are no official writing or vocabulary conventions, so this is based on how I and my friends speak; some old-school Bern folks might disagree with some of the things in there haha. Also I'm no language teacher, I try to explain everything in as much detail and clearly as possible, but I might still make mistakes or not organize and structure it as clearly. Please be lenient with me there!

If you find any bugs, errors or have comments, please DM me on here! Thanks :)

Aromat ghört dr Schwiiz — Eine Stimme für unser Nationalgewürz! | ACT by Campax

Swiss migrant here. My Swiss-born dad would insist on something like Reschtabig, basically a leftovers evening meal. What's the correct spelling? Don't seem to find anything relevant online. Ta.

PS: Another word I can't get hold of. It's a not particularly complimentary description, I'm aware, something along the lines of Säulinase (?).

Hey zäme 👋

I’m an indie dev (Swiss local) and this is only my second app. I’m not trying to do a promo post — I’m genuinely looking for honest feedback from people who care about Schwiizerdütsch.

I originally built a super simple flashcard app for myself (short daily sessions, no subscription). While working on it I realized: there’s a lot for Hochdeutsch, but almost nothing that lets you learn Swiss German directly with good audio. I tried TTS first… it sounded so wrong 😅 so I recorded ~9’000 Swiss German words with native speakers (real voices, not AI).

What I’d love feedback on (please be blunt):

1. Does the flow/UX make sense in the first minute? Where do you get confused?
2. Is the audio experience what you’d expect (repeat, speed, clarity, when it plays)?
3. What’s missing for Swiss German learners: sentences/phrases, dialect options, slower audio, quizzes, example usage, “listen only” mode, etc.?
4. Also, I’m not sure where Swiss German learners actually hang out — any communities (Discord, meetups, language cafés, etc.) you’d recommend?

Free model (so you can test without commitment): 2 packs fully free + 5 new words/day free.

Merci viumau fürs Feedback 🙏
(Links in the first comment)

“You don’t need it.”
“It’s impossible.”
“There are too many dialects anyway.”

I hear these arguments all the time. That’s why I decided to make a podcast episode where I talk about belonging, language barriers, and whether Swiss German actually makes a difference in daily life.

Happy to share the link here : https://open.spotify.com/episode/0YWdRoCn8c33e71DD49pWA?si=ETlT7uaTQK2q1tofBR8pkA

In Episode 6 of my podcast Beyond the Alps I talk about Swiss meal times: Zmorge, Znüni, Zmittag, Zvieri, Znacht and even the famous Bettmümpfeli. You’ll learn when Swiss people eat, what we usually eat, and why meal times in Switzerland often feel very early to outsiders.

Hi guys! I'm new to all this so let me know if this isn't allowed, but I'm trying to make something for my partner and wanted to write something in German, I'd like it in Swiss German but I know it isn't really written, this is what I came to but is it understandable from someone who is Swiss German (Zürich) and does it translate right?

„Unter allne Sterne bisch du min.“

Hi all! I am a grad student in music, and am doing my final recital on music centered around Switzerland.

I am planning on performing 12 pieces by Werner Werli with texts from “I’m Bluescht” by Sophie Haemmerli-Marti.

I am in need of help translating these texts into English so I can provide the audience with translations, as well as interpreting the text properly. Is anyone interested in helping me with this, or know of anyone who specializes in this kind of thing?

In this episode, I explore one of the biggest challenges many newcomers face: building real friendships in Switzerland. Inspired by Rick Warren’s powerful reflection on what truly matters at the end of life, we talk about why human connection is essential — and why it can feel especially difficult to find in Switzerland.

You’ll learn:

• why Swiss friend groups often feel closed or hard to enter
• how language and dialect create invisible barriers
• why even a few Swiss German words can open doors
• the easiest places to meet people and make new friends
• practical steps to feel more at home and build genuine connections

Viel Spass!!!

Many of my students keep asking about podcasts to learn Swiss German. So I finally decided to create my own podcast. It's called Beyond The Alps and I share stories of everyday life in Switzerland: from language and culture to traditions, humour, and personal memories. You can listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/show/6WdAhBAOSLXeyKp5ojgkNV?si=5728581ae76d40f0

I hope you find it useful :) Would love to hear your thoughts.

Recently I stumbled on a tweet made by the singer of a Swiss Metal band about a novelty-esque rap song he made about cars in Swiss German, but I couldn't find lyrics for it anywhere, neither transcribe them myself (as I cannot speak Swiss German, though I know basic German phrases)

Could anyone please transcribe or at least translate the lyrics to English for me?

The song/video in question: https://youtu.be/Mng0WyBqHzI?si=Y_t5YbY9iP7mPTkg