Swiss German vs. Hochdeutsch (Standard) (Specific Languages) Language Learning Forum

Swiss German vs. Hochdeutsch (Standard)
Tags: Swiss-German \| Comprehension/understanding \| Dialect \| German
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Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages

36 messages over 5 pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Grammaticus
Hexaglot
Newbie
Norway
Joined 5754 days ago
36 posts - 40 votes
Speaks: French^C2, Norwegian*, English^C2, German^C2, Italian, Russian

Message 33 of 36

29 March 2009 at 12:31am | IP Logged

neoinarien wrote:

How different is it? Mutually intelligible? What stereotypes surround Swiss German vs. standard German?

Thanks!

I've spent several years in Germany and Autria and speak fluent German. Then I worked in Bern for four months and could hardly understand anything. The swiss German spoken in Zürich is somewhat easier, though.
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wissli
Triglot
Newbie
United States
Joined 4730 days ago
2 posts - 2 votes
Speaks: English*, Swiss-German, German

Message 34 of 36

15 December 2011 at 7:52am | IP Logged

jimbo baby! wrote:

Are Swiss German movies usually in Hochdeutsch or dialect? Since not
all the dialects are mutually intelligible how do they overcome this in movies? Do they
just use a popular dialect like from Zurich or Basel that most Swiss Germans would
probably understand?

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wissli
Triglot
Newbie
United States
Joined 4730 days ago
2 posts - 2 votes
Speaks: English*, Swiss-German, German

Message 35 of 36

15 December 2011 at 7:57am | IP Logged

I am an American who lived in Switzerland for 8 years. I first learned high German (what
is used for writing and reading in German speaking Switzerland) and afterwards learned to
speak Swiss-German. Swiss-German people understand one another in spite of the different
dialects. There are some difficulties, but for the most part they do understand one
another and recognize what part of the country a person is from by their dialect. In
movies it is the same. Even as a non-native speaker, I can understand most of what is
spoken in the different dialects.
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csidler
Diglot
Pro Member
Australia
chadsidler.com
Joined 4824 days ago
51 posts - 59 votes

Speaks: English*, German
Studies: Italian, French
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Message 36 of 36

12 January 2012 at 7:55pm | IP Logged

The dialects in Swiss German are generally just changes on pronunciation.

For example I was in bern on Monday and they say "gruesse" where as I say "grüezi" so we both understand
each other and both know that I am not from bern!

For those that want to see some intense Swiss German in action, check out this tv advertisement on
YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13c2RnRettw

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