Swiss German translation agency

Language is probably the most important means of communication, and this is certainly the case when doing business abroad. There are a large number of countries in which it is appreciated if you speak their language well. Switzerland is one of those countries. If you want to do business here, people will expect you to speak the language in the region in which you find yourself. You won’t automatically be a master of Swiss German, however. This is where we can help you by translating your documents out of, and into, Swiss Standard German. If you are interested in the opportunities this may afford you, why not get in touch with us? You can also request a no-obligation quotation, of course.

Swiss Standard German

Swiss German is a generic name for those dialects that are spoken in Switzerland, but it is also used for those which are spoken in Lichtenstein, among other places. The dialects differ enormously, however, and Swiss German speakers regard Swiss Standard German, otherwise known as Swiss High German, which they use to communicate across the dialects, as somewhat artificial, even though most can speak it fluently. The dialects are so different, in fact, that they differ from town to town and from village to village. Modern media, however, means that certain city dialects now exercise a great deal of influence and can now be regarded as the main languages. The dialect for the city of Zurich is one of the most important. Swiss German differs from Standard German in spelling and orthography and some nouns have a different gender. Terminology can also be different.

Extinction

Where other dialects are threatened with extinction, this is not the case with Swiss German. Although Swiss Standard German is spoken on official occasions, people soon switch to their dialect once the formal part is over. Swiss German is a version of Standard or High German, but it also shows some similarities with French. The various Swiss German dialects have no official spelling but Swiss Standard German is mainly used when writing.