https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Here are some essential phrases in French, German and Italian to help you out on Valentine's Day in Switzerland. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230213/german-italian-and-french-the-romantic-words-and-phrases-you-need-in-switzerland Mon, 13 Feb 2023 18:03:23 +0100 german-italian-and-french-the-romantic-words-and-phrases-you-need-in-switzerland How can you describe cold weather in German (and Swiss German)? With temperatures dipping recently, here are some essential words you’ll likely be hearing or using in winter. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240111/the-words-you-need-to-talk-about-cold-weather-in-german-speaking-switzerland Thu, 11 Jan 2024 17:44:21 +0100 the-words-you-need-to-talk-about-cold-weather-in-german-speaking-switzerland If you're going shopping in Swiss-German speaking parts of Switzerland, this is a useful word to know. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240312/swiss-german-word-of-the-day-poschtiwageli Tue, 12 Mar 2024 16:54:48 +0100 swiss-german-word-of-the-day-poschtiwageli The letter 'ß' (eszett) is an integral part of the German language. But did you know that it's not generally used by Swiss Germans? https://www.thelocal.ch/20231116/why-is-the-german-letter-s-not-used-in-switzerland Thu, 16 Nov 2023 13:18:17 +0100 why-is-the-german-letter-s-not-used-in-switzerland German is not an easy language to learn, particularly Swiss German. The City of Zurich knows this and has several offers for free classes for immigrants. Writer Parul Chhaparia lists five of them. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220823/five-places-to-learn-swiss-german-for-free-in-zurich Tue, 23 Aug 2022 15:34:15 +0200 five-places-to-learn-swiss-german-for-free-in-zurich Swiss German is notoriously difficult for many people to understand, even those who speak 'Hochdeutsch'. But there is a famous term that has made it into the global vocabulary. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230803/putsch-how-one-swiss-german-word-became-known-around-the-world Thu, 03 Aug 2023 16:56:09 +0200 putsch-how-one-swiss-german-word-became-known-around-the-world French is often crowned the world’s most beautiful language and has, for centuries, infiltrated Switzerland’s German-speaking region. But why did so many French words end up in Swiss German and which are most commonly used? https://www.thelocal.ch/20230516/why-does-swiss-german-have-so-many-french-loan-words Tue, 16 May 2023 16:30:02 +0200 why-does-swiss-german-have-so-many-french-loan-words It’s official: Switzerland’s main language can’t be used in parliamentary debates. What are the reasons for this decision? https://www.thelocal.ch/20230503/why-did-mps-ban-swiss-german-from-the-parliament Wed, 03 May 2023 12:59:13 +0200 why-did-mps-ban-swiss-german-from-the-parliament These key words and phrases enable you to greet and wave off a Swiss person, demonstrate basic social etiquette, and casually respond in Zurich's local dialect. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230328/eight-essential-phrases-you-need-to-know-to-get-by-in-zurich Tue, 28 Mar 2023 11:52:14 +0200 eight-essential-phrases-you-need-to-know-to-get-by-in-zurich The clocks are springing ahead this weekend, marking the beginning of daylight saving time and the end of the dark winter period. Aptly described in German as die Sommerzeit, here is the history of how the practice came about. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230322/german-word-of-the-day-die-sommerzeit-2 Wed, 22 Mar 2023 13:13:51 +0100 german-word-of-the-day-die-sommerzeit-2 If you live in a German-speaking part of Switzerland you will likely consider learning the language. But should you start with standard German (Hochdeutsch) or a form of Swiss German? https://www.thelocal.ch/20230203/reader-question-is-it-better-to-learn-hochdeutsch-or-swiss-german Fri, 03 Feb 2023 17:20:28 +0100 reader-question-is-it-better-to-learn-hochdeutsch-or-swiss-german From strange French borrowings to missing tenses and pronunciation oddities, we give you the lowdown on how Swiss German is different from the Standard German you learn in the classroom. https://www.thelocal.ch/20180919/seven-ways-swiss-german-is-different-from-standard-german Wed, 19 Sep 2018 11:34:14 +0200 seven-ways-swiss-german-is-different-from-standard-german Just about to leave, or want more equality? This is the German word for you. https://www.thelocal.ch/20221213/german-word-of-the-day-gleich Tue, 13 Dec 2022 18:38:14 +0100 german-word-of-the-day-gleich Switzerland's four national languages means there are four different names for Christmas. We break down why - and how to say Merry Christmas wherever you are in the country. https://www.thelocal.ch/20191223/understanding-the-different-names-for-christmas-across-switzerland Mon, 23 Dec 2019 14:07:53 +0100 understanding-the-different-names-for-christmas-across-switzerland German is a notoriously challenging language - and for English speakers, there are a few classic pitfalls that trip people up time and time again. Here are some common mistakes you may not even know you're making - and how to avoid them. https://www.thelocal.ch/20210923/four-common-mistakes-english-speakers-make-when-learning-german-3 Thu, 23 Sep 2021 14:14:28 +0200 four-common-mistakes-english-speakers-make-when-learning-german-3 People in German-speaking Switzerland use Hochdeutsch (standard German) - but there is also a huge variety of Swiss German dialects. We spoke to experts to explore the differences between the languages. https://www.thelocal.ch/20221206/swiss-german-vs-hochdeutsch-what-are-the-key-differences Tue, 06 Dec 2022 12:03:57 +0100 swiss-german-vs-hochdeutsch-what-are-the-key-differences Swiss German is a confusing language - but if you're looking to simplify things, this list won't help at all. https://www.thelocal.ch/20191126/five-swiss-german-words-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-local Tue, 26 Nov 2019 22:56:44 +0100 five-swiss-german-words-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-local You just have to get to know this word. https://www.thelocal.ch/20221102/german-word-of-the-day-eben-3 Wed, 02 Nov 2022 09:37:18 +0100 german-word-of-the-day-eben-3 Even with High German, the differences between writing and speaking are stark. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200908/seven-fascinating-ways-written-and-spoken-german-differ Tue, 08 Sep 2020 16:03:59 +0200 seven-fascinating-ways-written-and-spoken-german-differ Forget Halloween – Laternelaufen is the autumn tradition you need to know about while living in Germany (or many German-speaking countries). https://www.thelocal.ch/20211111/german-word-of-the-day-das-laternelaufen Thu, 11 Nov 2021 15:31:29 +0100 german-word-of-the-day-das-laternelaufen