Ten Swiss German phrases you need to know

There are many word or phrases in Swiss German that expats in Switzerland or tourists in the country will start to hear. The dialect varies from place to place in German-speaking Switzerland - so prepare to be surprised!
There also aren't as many grammatical rules as there are in high German, which sounds great in theory, but makes learning Swiss German quite difficult for expats in Switzerland.

But don't let this discourage you if you're thinking of moving here or coming to work here as an expat. You can move to Switzerland without knowing any Swiss German or even German at all and will still be able to communicate, get around without any huge problems, enjoy the Swiss lifestyle or simply start your new life abroad.

To give you a glimpse into Swiss culture, here are a few words and phrases that you will soon hear as an expat in Switzerland or while here on holiday. We talk about where you will hear them and what they mean.

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The Swiss German phrases we talk about in this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to Switzerland

• Grüessäch, tschou

• Adjeu, tschüss, uf Widerluegä

• Merci vielmal

• Exgüsee

• Heiter z Zedeli wöuä / Seckli wöuä?

• Gäbig

• Velo

• Z‘nüüni and z‘vieri

• Koleeg or Koleegin

• Stangä

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