SwissGerman

Swiss German, or Schweizerdeutsch, refers to the group of Alemannic dialects spoken natively in the German-speaking parts of Switzerland and in Liechtenstein. It is distinct from Standard German (Hochdeutsch), which is used in formal writing, education, government, and most media. While most Swiss adults are bilingual in Swiss German and Standard German, daily interaction typically occurs in Swiss German dialects, with Standard German reserved for official contexts.

Dialects and regional variation are the defining features of Swiss German. The dialects vary widely by canton and city, and major varieties include Zurich German, Bernese German, Basel German, and Lucerne or St. Gallen dialects. There is no single nationwide Swiss German standard for spoken language, and mutual intelligibility can vary between dialects. In writing, Swiss German is rarely standardized; it is largely a spoken variety, while Standard German is used for writing and formal communication.

In everyday life, Swiss German includes distinctive vocabulary and phonology, and it has absorbed borrowings from French, Italian, and Romansh through Switzerland’s multilingual environment. Common dialectal features appear in greetings and everyday terms, such as Grüezi for hello and various regionally specific words for meals and daily routines (for example, terms for snacks and mealtimes). For written communication and formal contexts, Swiss Standard German is used, a form of Standard German adapted to Swiss usage.

Media and culture reflect the prominence of Swiss German in daily life. Local radio and television often feature dialect programming, while newspapers and official documents generally employ Standard German. Swiss German thus functions as a principal spoken language with regional diversity, coexisting alongside Standard German and the broader multilingual Swiss linguistic landscape.