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📕 Swiss German Dictionary

English → Swiss German Dictionary

Search 218+ words with Zürich, Bern and Basel spelling variants, plus example sentences.

⚠️ Swiss German has no official written spelling standard. The Zürich, Bern and Basel columns below show common phonetic spellings for each region — you may see these words spelled differently elsewhere, and that's normal. See our dialects guide for more on regional variation.
📖 218 words 📝 106 nouns ✎️ 25 verbs
Category
All time 37 society 23 verbs 21 grammar 19 travel 17 adjectives 16 food 14 family 13 home 12 shopping 11 greetings 9 people 8 weather 8 work 8 opinions 2
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← Standard German dictionary
to know
verb verbs
Zürich wüsse
Bern wüsse
Basel wisse
EnglishYou know, it's not far.
Zürich GermanWeisch, das isch nid wyt.
to live (reside)
verb verbs
Zürich wohne
Bern wohne
Basel wohne
EnglishWhere do you live?
Zürich GermanWo wohnsch?
to look for
verb verbs
Zürich sueche
Bern sueche
Basel sueche
EnglishI'm looking for the train station.
Zürich GermanIch sueche dr Bahnhof.
to make / do
verb verbs
Zürich mache
Bern mache
Basel mache
EnglishWhat are you doing tonight?
Zürich GermanWas machsch hüt Abig?
to pay
verb verbs
Zürich zahle
Bern zahle
Basel zahle
EnglishCan I pay now?
Zürich GermanChan ich jetz zahle?
to say
verb verbs
Zürich säge
Bern säge
Basel saage
EnglishWhat did you say?
Zürich GermanWas hesch gsäit?
to see
verb verbs
Zürich gseh
Bern gseh
Basel gseh
EnglishI'll see you tomorrow.
Zürich GermanIch gseh di morn.
to sleep
verb verbs
Zürich schlafe
Bern schlofe
Basel schlofe
EnglishI need to sleep.
Zürich GermanIch muess schlafe.
to walk
verb verbs
Zürich laufe
Bern laufe
Basel laufe
EnglishLet's walk there.
Zürich GermanGömer dethi laufe.
to want
verb verbs
Zürich wölle
Bern wölle
Basel wöu
EnglishWhat do you want to eat?
Zürich GermanWas wesch ässe?
to work
verb work
Zürich schaffe
Bern schaffe
Basel schaffe
EnglishI work in Zürich.
Zürich GermanIch schaffe in Züri.
💡 Very commonly used in everyday speech for 'to work' across most of German-speaking Switzerland.
today
adverb time
Zürich hüt
Bern hüt
Basel hit
EnglishI'm busy today.
Zürich GermanIch bi hüt beschäftigt.
tomorrow
adverb time
Zürich morn
Bern morn
Basel moorn
EnglishSee you tomorrow.
Zürich GermanBis morn.
tourist
noun people
Zürich Tourist
Bern Tourist
Basel Tourist
EnglishThere are many tourists in summer.
Zürich GermanIm Summer sind viel Touriste da.
train
noun travel
Zürich Zug
Bern Zug
Basel Zug
EnglishWhen does the train arrive?
Zürich GermanWenn chunnt dr Zug?
train station
noun travel
Zürich Bahnhof
Bern Bahnhof
Basel Bahnhof
EnglishWhere is the train station?
Zürich GermanWo isch dr Bahnhof?
tram
noun travel
Zürich Tram
Bern Tram
Basel Tram
EnglishTake the tram to the old town.
Zürich GermanNimm s'Tram zur Altstadt.
💡 Trams are a defining feature of Zürich, Basel and Bern's city transport.
Tuesday
noun time
Zürich Zischtig
Bern Zystag
Basel Zischtig
EnglishTuesday works for me.
Zürich GermanZischtig passt mir.
twelve
noun time
Zürich zwölf
Bern zwölf
Basel zwölf
EnglishTwelve francs fifty.
Zürich GermanZwölf Franke fünfzg.
twenty
noun time
Zürich zwänzg
Bern zwänzg
Basel zwänzg
EnglishTwenty francs.
Zürich GermanZwänzg Franke.
two
noun time
Zürich zwöi
Bern zwöi
Basel zwei
EnglishTwo coffees, please.
Zürich GermanZwöi Kafi, bitte.
ugly
adjective adjectives
Zürich häss
Bern uglig
Basel haesslig
EnglishThat building is ugly.
Zürich GermanDas Gebäude isch häss.
💡 Noticeable lexical variation between dialects here.
vacation / holiday
noun work
Zürich Ferie
Bern Ferie
Basel Ferie
EnglishI'm on holiday next week.
Zürich GermanIch bi nächsti Wuche i de Ferie.
very
adverb grammar
Zürich sehr / würklich
Bern sehr
Basel sehr
EnglishIt's very cold today.
Zürich GermanHüt isch's sehr chalt.
warm
adjective weather
Zürich warm
Bern warm
Basel warm
EnglishIt's warm in summer.
Zürich GermanIm Summer isch's warm.
water
noun food
Zürich Wasser
Bern Wasser
Basel Wasser
EnglishCan I have some water?
Zürich GermanChan ich Wasser ha?
weather
noun weather
Zürich Wätter
Bern Wätter
Basel Wätter
EnglishThe weather is nice today.
Zürich GermanS'Wätter isch hüt schön.
Wednesday
noun time
Zürich Mittwuch
Bern Mittwuch
Basel Mittwuch
EnglishWednesday is the middle of the week.
Zürich GermanMittwuch isch d'Wuchemitti.
week
noun time
Zürich Wuche
Bern Wuche
Basel Wuche
EnglishSee you next week.
Zürich GermanBis nächsti Wuche.
welcome
phrase society
Zürich willkomme
Bern willkomme
Basel willkomme
EnglishWelcome to Zürich!
Zürich GermanWillkomme in Züri!
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