As they speak both languages, they’ll recognize the non-Swiss German words and might take your strategy as faux-pas.ĭoes it mean you should hire local translators and copywriters and rewrite tens of thousands of words to cover these differences? Maybe not, but there’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to localizing for Swiss German.Īs a rule of thumb, you want to consider the purpose of the communication before deciding.įor example, in situations where communication should always follow rigid standards for compliance, using Standard German makes sense. However, they’ll know you haven’t written or recorded that message for them. In other words, people will understand you perfectly if you communicate in Standard German only. A German translator can easily craft the correct message for you to share with your Swiss audience. Also, in some words, the letter k has been replaced with the Swiss “ch.”Īs you can see, the differences are difficult to ignore, even if they don’t necessarily limit communication. US spelling-sometimes, a vowel is missing, or consonants don’t get doubled. Spelling differences are similar to UK vs. In Switzerland, you’ll mostly use present perfect and present, eliminating this way the complex (and famously problematic) German tenses. They don’t use the genitive anymore due to the French and Italian influence over the language and rely on fewer tenses to differentiate past and present situations. In Switzerland, German speakers have somehow simplified the language. Moreover, pronunciation varies with each canton, making it difficult for outsiders to identify the “correct” way to pronounce some words. ![]() At the same time, Swiss German speakers tend to shorten the vowels in diphthongs. The pronunciation of consonants in Swiss German is generally harsher than what you hear from most German speakers. ![]() In rural areas, terms that define the weather or agricultural activities are different from what you would encounter when traveling to Germany. Instead, you’ll have to go for the French term, “ merci.” The sidewalk isn’t called “ Bürgersteig” but “ trottoir,” and the local name for potato is “ Herdöpfel” instead of the German term “ Kartoffel.” For example, in Switzerland, you won’t say “ danke” to thank someone. Swiss German includes a series of terms that don’t exist in Standard German, from everyday activities to industry-specific terminology. Most of these variations result from the French and Italian influences coming from the French- and Italian-speaking Swiss populations living in Switzerland. ![]() Let’s take a closer look.ĭifferences between Swiss German and High German include vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and spelling. Does it also mean you should do it? It depends on your industry, target audience, global marketing strategy, and how you want to position your brand on this local market. ![]() So, should you take the shortcut and use the German version of your content to communicate with your target audience in Switzerland? You could, as you can rest assured that everybody will understand your message. In other words, on paper, German-speaking Swiss have pretty much the same language as people who live in Germany, and all speakers understand each other perfectly regardless of where they live. This way, people living in the German-speaking part of Switzerland can easily overcome any inconveniences and avoid miscommunication. In official communication, media, and schools, people speak Standard Swiss German, almost identical to Standard German. As you travel from canton to canton, you can notice differences in the way people talk, making it hard to identify a unique set of rules that differentiate Swiss-German as a separate language. According to some linguists, Swiss German isn’t a language but a collection of Alemannic dialects spoken in the German-speaking regions of the country.
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