Languages of Switzerland

The answer to the question “What’s the official language of your country?” seems pretty easy and straightforward for most countries around the world.

The official language of Spain is Spanish; in France it’s French; and German in Germany.

But if you ask a Swiss the same question, it gets more complicated.

Do you ever wonder what language is spoken in Switzerland?

In this article, you’ll find the answer to your question. But you’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that there’s more than one language present in Switzerland.

How many languages are spoken in Switzerland?

Switzerland has four official languages: German, Italian, French, and Romansh. Each language is spoken in different regions of the country.

Imagine being in a country where four major languages are spoken. It sounds like a dream come true for language learners, right? Well, it’s the reality in Switzerland.

This is exactly the reason why Switzerland is a paradise for every polyglot and those who aspire to be one!

Why are there four languages spoken in Switzerland?

Now that we have talked about how many languages are spoken in Switzerland and what they are, your next question is most probably, “Why?”

How come there is not a single, unified Switzerland language? 

In most countries, language served as a tool to unify the population around a national identity. However, Switzerland didn’t follow the same course as it’s regarded as a ‘Willensnation’, a country that adheres to the political act of will. In short, it is a nation of will. 

 

Switzerland consists of 26 cantons, also known as administrative blocs, each agreeing to work with one another.

Historically, these cantons were fully sovereign states, each with their own borders, armies, customs, and language. In this sense, you could say that Switzerland is more of a federation, rather than a nation. 

 

In addition, apart from the diminished Helvetic Republic that took place from 1798 to 1803, there has never been an established centralized government in Switzerland.

This enabled the cantons to maintain control over their own affairs and official languages.

 

The languages spoken by each canton represent both the geographical and cultural boundaries of Switzerland and are greatly influenced by the countries close to them.

 

For instance, towards the south and across the Alps, Italian is spoken; to the west, French; in the eastern and central parts of Switzerland, German is the main language; and Romansh is predominantly spoken in the southwest. 

 

There are also a number of cantons that are bilingual, including Graubünden, Valais, Fribourg, and Bern.

Some are even trilingual, such as the canton of Grisons, wherein Italian, German, and Romansh are spoken.

Learn more: History of Switzerland

The four official languages of Switzerland

Let’s take a closer look at the four languages and everything we need to know about them.

German

Spoken by 63% of the population, Swiss German is the most widely spoken language in Switzerland. Swiss German, or as the locals call it ‘Schwyzerdütsch’, is a collection of Alemannic dialects that are no longer spoken in Germany or Austria. 

So, can you get by if you know how to speak Standard German but not Swiss German?

 

Fortunately, yes, you can!

Standard German is being taught to Swiss at a very young age in school so they can easily communicate with Germans, Austrians, and any German speakers effortlessly.

The Swiss have the unique ability to automatically switch from speaking Swiss German to standard German once they figure that they are conversing with a non-Swiss German speaker.

 

In addition, standard German is still being used in Switzerland for formal correspondence, in books, and in the news on TV, which can be an advantage for you if you already have prior knowledge about the German language.

 

Unlike standard German, there is no official grammar for Swiss German language that you can study formally.

On the brighter side, however, there are a few points you can keep in mind that can make learning Swiss German a bit easier for you. 

 

Listed below are some important guidelines regarding the differences between standard German and Swiss German that you must be aware of:

 

1. The Standard German “au” becomes “uu”/”u” in Swiss German.

 

 

2. The Standard German “k” becomes a “ch” in Swiss German.

 

 

3. The standard German “st” becomes “scht” in Swiss German.

 

 

Check out the video below to understand the basic differences between Swiss German and Standard German.

French

The second most widely spoken language in Switzerland is Swiss-French.

Approximately 20% of Switzerland’s population are French-speakers, in which the vast majority reside in the western part of the country.

Some French-speaking popular destinations in Switzerland are Geneva and Lausanne.

So, if you’re thinking of traveling to any of these beautiful cities, make sure you know even a little bit of French!

 

The difference between Swiss French and the standard form of French you hear in France is very minimal.

While there are a few differences in terms of vocabulary and expression, it is not as obvious and noticeable as the difference between Swiss German and standard German.

This is good news for those who can speak French, as they won’t have any problem chit-chatting with locals from the French-speaking areas in Switzerland.

While you can generally get by with standard French, it wouldn’t hurt to learn Swiss French.

To help you understand Swiss-French better, check out the primary distinctions between Swiss-French and standard French below:

1. Numbers

The names for numbers 1-69 in standard French is pretty straightforward, but when you reach 70, it gets more complicated. It’s because the numbers 70 and up don’t have a name for themselves, so we have to combine the names of other numbers.

 

Let’s take a look at the examples for 70, 80, and 90 below:

 

Now, let’s take a look at the chart below if you were to count a number higher:

 

Notice how you have to do a little bit of math for the numbers in standard French?

Thankfully, the names for these numbers are all very simple in Swiss-French!

2. Word meanings

Similar to the names for numbers, a few word meanings are much easier in Swiss French. Two of the most common differences are the way you say a formal “you’re welcome” or “bless you.”

 

In France, when someone says merci, an appropriate response would be “je vous en prie,” which translates to “you’re welcome.”

But in Switzerland, it is spoken as “service”, which is a shortened version of “à votre service” (at your service).

 

In standard French, the expression “bless you” is spoken as “à vos souhaits.” In Swiss French, on the other hand, a short “santé” will do.

There are also differences on how the meals are called. Check the example below:

 

3. Accent

The Swiss-French accent is a breath of fresh air, even for those who speak French fluently.

In France, the pronunciation is complicated because there are a lot of silent letters involved. For instance, je suis can end up sounding like shwee and je ne sais pas is pronounced as chez pas.

 

On the other hand, the Swiss-French pronunciation is more elaborate and articulate.

In Switzerland, the vast majority of words are pronounced exactly as they are read.

This can be an advantage to those who are only starting to learn French.

4. Optimism

The standard French is lacking some optimistic words and phrases. As a matter of fact, there is no legitimate way to say that you are looking forward to something.

If you want to express your eager anticipation, the closest French expression is “avoir hâte de”, which literally means “to be impatient about”.

But it doesn’t really accurately sum up what we’re trying to say, right?

Thankfully, this dilemma is solved in Swiss French.

To say that you’re looking forward to something, you can say “se réjouir de”, which literally translates to “to be delighted about.”

 

It looks like Swiss-French is solving a lot of problems and making French complications way easier, right?

That’s all the more reason to learn more about Swiss-French, especially if you’re planning to travel to any French-speaking cities in Switzerland!

Check out the video below and learn some Swiss-French phrases that are most commonly used in everyday conversations.

Italian

Spoken by approximately 8% of the population, or around 350,000 people, Swiss Italian ranks as the third most spoken language in Switzerland. It is spoken in the cantons of southern Graubünden, Ticino, Lugano, Bellinzona, and Locarno.

 

One of the most noticeable characteristics of Swiss Italian is the influence of French and German languages. There are a number of loanwords that are a part of the Swiss Italian language that are originally derived from either French or German.

 

For instance, when booking a table at the restaurant, Swiss Italians use the verb riservare (to reserve) rather than the Italian word prenotare. In standard Italian, the word riservare exists but has an entirely different meaning of setting something aside, most commonly used to refer to saving money.

 

Also, when ordering food, Swiss Italians opt for the term comandare, which is derived from the French word commander, instead of the standard Italian word ordinare (to order).

Similar to riservare, the term comandare exists in standard Italian vocabulary as well, but it isn’t something you can use to order food at a restaurant as it means to control or to demand.

Here are a few more common Swiss Italian words that differ from their standard Italian equivalents:

 

 

With these in mind, be careful about the words you use in Italy and Switzerland as some of them can’t be used interchangeably.

 

But don’t worry! Apart from a number of vocabulary differences, Swiss Italian, much like Swiss-French, can be easily understood by any Italian speaker. So whether you’re just starting to learn Italian or you’re already fluent in it, you will be able to mingle with the locals without any difficulties.

Romansh

Romansh is the least spoken language in Switzerland. It is indigenous to Switzerland’s largest canton, Graubünden, nestled in the south-eastern corner of the country. And with only 37,000 speakers, it is often overlooked by international travelers visiting Switzerland.

 

Despite Romansh being one of Switzerland’s four official languages, it is less likely that you’ll encounter a Swiss who speaks Romansh when traveling to Switzerland.

While walking around the canton of Graubünden, you’ll probably come across some street signs written in Romansh and hear the mysterious language when you’re greeted “Allegra!” (welcome in) once you step inside the establishments.

But it is awfully noticeable how there seem to be only a very few locals who speak the language.

 

Nearly 40% of Romansh speakers have left their cantons for better job opportunities and moved to more modernized cities such as Zurich, Switzerland.

This has resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of Romansh speakers in Switzerland.

 

This may seem like the downfall for the Romansh language, but thankfully, the Swiss are extremely eager to preserve their culture and languages. The Swiss government shells out approximately 7.6 million CHF annually to promote and preserve the Romansh language. 

 

The good news is that language learners like you can be a part of this movement to preserve the beautiful Romansh language.

Check out the video below to learn a few common Romansh words and how they are pronounced.

Final thoughts

At this point, if you have finished reading the article, you already know what language is spoken in Switzerland.

And you know for a fact that there is more than one. Not two, not three, but four!

 

Switzerland is a beautiful country boasting spectacular mountains, lakes, historical towns, and picturesque preserved Alpine villages.

It is an exciting and the dream destination of polyglots as every part of the country can be explored in a variety of languages.

Visiting Switzerland is a fun way to practice your language skills while traversing into German, French, Italian, and Romansh cultures at the same time.

So what are you waiting for? Justlearn is here to help you learn German, French, and  Italian languages, all of which will come in handy once you step a foot in Switzerland!