Watch her speak French in an interview. Contact Another difference is how the French speakers in Switzerland call their meals. Bnzli (Narc / Goody two shoes) 9. 12. Hors-ligne: This is often seen on buses in the Suisse Romandie. Meal names have shifted in the French of France, where. "Rclame" is an older disused word for advertising in French. Of these cantons, three are bilingual in French and German: Bern, Fribourg and Valais. Though the group sings mostly in English, theyre a staple of Swiss cultureand often switch between speaking Swiss French and English in interviews like the one above. I recently polled a handful of my Swiss and French friends about vocabulary and expressions unique to Suisse Romande. : Are you crazy? Los Angeles, Did you know that around two million people in Switzerland are French speakers? Even if you have studied French for years, you might be puzzled by this question. @coucoufrench Literally! Click here to get a copy. For instance, the words peau (skin) and pot (this is an easy one: pot!) Switzerland, specifically the Romandy region, should absolutely be on your list of Francophone countries in which to practice your French. The site featuresshort video clips as well as news articles, and you shouldnt be surprised to see that the Swiss are quite attentive to world news. When you enter a shop in France or Switzerland, ifyou indicate that youre just browsing, the French shop owner may say, Je vous en prie (Youre welcome, otherwise meaning Look freely). Here's a comprehensive guide on the languages of Switzerland. Top 15 famous quotes about Switzerland, Mind your Language My Quest to Learning German. Switzerland was formed into 22 member states defined by either conservative catholic or liberal governments, which led to civil war in 1847. ), Tch bonne: Have a good day /evening (bonne journe /soire), Lolette: a pacifier for babies (ttine in France). The culture of each language area is also starkly demarcated by that language. events & special offers, 2023 Coucou French Classes. But the Swiss French would sayFates seulement (literally, Do it alone, otherwise meaning Shop away on your own!). Example: Tu as encore mis le cheni dans ta chambre ! But with these lower-priced devices, the user must take into account the lower processing power. All Your Questions About French, Answered! Rough English Translation. Moreover, Swiss Italian distinguishes itself from Standard Italian by the presence of so-called calques which are phrases that read like literal word-for-word translations from French and German. Swiss French still uses the generic uncountable word le linge to define laundry, but the countable word un/le/les linge-s (which has no meaning in the French of France) means une/la/les serviette-s. Originally the phrase was used to refer to something a person receives in addition to what they have already bought. | Casse couille 7. Whereas in the private sphere, and between Swiss-Germans themselves, dialects win the day. Romansh is a Romance language that has borrowed a tremendous amount of its vocabulary and syntax from German. But still, practice your math, okay? Service ! Here are some common ways you can expect to see French words written in your text messages with French speakers: slt ( salut ), bjr ( bonjour) stp ( s'il te plat ), svp ( s'il vous plat) cad ( c'est--dire) A+ ( plus tard) pq ( pourquoi) wtu ( o es-tu) je t'm ( je t'aime) Weve got you covered! Much like its world-famous pocket knives, Switzerland feels like a country made up of varying parts, where four different languages are granted the cultural, political and social room to flourish with minimal interference from the state or from the other language communities. Great news: youve got plenty of options. (Thank you for such a nice welcome, well be back! The four languages are German, French, Italian and Rumantsch. And our French text slang words will help you sound like a local even when texting. Unless they sneeze right in front of you, that is. Swiss French (French: franais de Suisse or suisse romand) is the variety of French spoken in the French-speaking area of Switzerland known as Romandy. Youre welcome!). The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Le cheni in Switzerland is a mess or disorder. Gotthard, a Swiss band that was extremely popular in the 90s, became (and still is) one of the most famous bands in Europe. Please don't call a grand'ma "Memere" it's generally considered pejorative, like in 'eh, avance memere' (hey, come on oldie !) Episodes are available to stream on the Radio Television Suisse (RTS) website. Alain Tanner, a Swiss film director, has made over 40 Swiss French films. Largely due to its landlocked locationbordered by Germany to the north, Austria to the east, Italy to the south and France to the westSwitzerland has long been an area of dispute. People are naturally fascinated by Switzerland and this admiration isnt just a love for chocolate and mountain walks (all right, maybe a little bit). For example, while in France you might say, Je vais faire le mnage (I will do the cleaning), the Swiss French might say, Je vais poutzer, which is a verb based off of the German verb putzen, to clean. Quart dheure vaudois: This means a slight delay, not only in Vaud but in other Romand cantons as well (tre en retard in France). Not sure what to watch during this confinement? Now hes drunk!), *apricot brandy from the canton of Valais. You can also say. it could be a diminutive form, playful, pejorative, affectionate, something funny. Croatian Slang. Example: Quest-ce que tu as renvers par terre ? la@coucoufrenchclasses.com What about the other languages spoken in Switzerland? Its been a while! But in Swiss French, the O vowel sound changes between the words. Watch her speak French in an interview here. I also learned Swiss-French has its own words for some common household linens: panosse (floor cloth), lavette (face cloth), linge de cuisine (dish towel) and linge de bain (bath towel). Are you itchy or what?). Swiss-French is also identical to Standard one. What happens to people who spend all day cleaning the house from top to bottom with a panosse? Common Swiss Expressions One of the most famous Swiss-French words is natel, which means cellphone. As noted above, its bordered by Germany, Austria, Italy and France, meaning it sits at the crux of the origin of three primary Germanic and Romance languages: [Swiss] German, Italian and French. In this multicultural and multilingual country with four official languages (French, If a Swiss person asks you this, theyre probably pretty cheerful. This phrase is a little old-fashioned, but we think its super cute. ChuChiChaschliLand. For instance, instead of Fahrrad (bicycle), Swiss Germans opt for the French loanword Velo. But did you know that he was from Switzerland? But did you know that he was from Switzerland? Auj is one that is relatively easy to guess, " aujourd'hui ", meaning "today". Its also fascinating because its a land made up of multiple linguistic groups and has largely avoided the social conflict that has plagued other multilingualsocieties throughout history. Abeleere! The most widely spoken language in Switzerland is Swiss German. Spoken by just over 60 percent of the population, its speakers are concentrated in the northern, central and eastern parts of the country. French is one of the four official languages of Switzerland, the others being German, Italian, and Romansch. One of the best French slang words and phrases to express this has to be "J'ai un petit creux.". Altogether, I ended up with dozens of different words and phrases, some of which I was familiar with already, like natel (Swiss-French) vs. portable (French) for cell phone; or action (Swiss-French) vs. promotion (French) for special offer. Example: Mets tes cuissettes, vite ! In the political dimension, the phrase is often used to argue that, in order to implement a beneficial measure be it more reliable public transport or energy rebates a less desired consequence, such as raising taxes, will be part of the deal. Despite the relatively small size of the Romansh-speaking community, there are incredibly five Romansh dialects in daily use, with attempts by the government of Grisons to introduce a universal pan-Romansh being met with mixed results at the local level. Heureusement, the International Phonetic Alphabet can help. As for the language regions. On va se peler si on n'allume pas le chauffage. Swiss German Slang- ChuchichaschliLand; Close; Global Slang. A guide to all the French revolutions you should know about! Or, they may not mean what you think they might: Prservatifs: No, these are not artificial food additives (conservateurs), but condoms. Need guidance? These three languages when added to the unique Romansh language makes for a diverse linguistic spectrum. | Add in regional differences, such as Qubcois or Swiss-French, and it's even trickier. People would say balles as slang to refer to francs. Inspired by Switzerland's multilingualism? And in western Switzerland, particularly the Geneva region, youll find French speakers, who might also speak one of Switzerlands specific dialects, like Franc Comtois. @coucoufrenchclasses This common, catch-all expression is used in the sense of a va or a marche, both as a question and a statement. Radio Television Suisse (RTS) is under the umbrella management of SRG SSR. What are the four official languages of Switzerland? So what is its name doing among the French speakers? [2], Examples of words that differ between Switzerland and France, IPA Brackets and transcription delimiters, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "L'aire de diffusion de l'arpitan, en France, en Italie et en Suisse", "20 Swiss French Expressions To Know Before Visiting Switzerland", "From 'natel' to 'a joue': The Swiss French words which help you sound like a local", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swiss_French&oldid=1149310570. Tte de noeud 2. Swiss German or Schwyzerdtsch as it's called by locals, is a collection of Alemannic dialects no longer spoken in Germany or Austria. In south-eastern Switzerland (famous for its lakes), youll find Italian speakers. Privacy It then came to refer to the bad goods that a merchant wanted to get rid of along with the desired purchase. Watch recent French-speaking movies and TV shows to learn new slang, and the slang words and phrases youve just learned in this article. Not consenting or withdrawing consent may adversely affect certain features and functions. Actually, what differentiates the Swiss accent is its emphasis on penultimate syllables. Then Check Out: Red Light District Tips! Category: Culture Maybe the influence of the methodical German-speaking Swiss had something to do with this? This article was originally published on the French edition of Babbel Magazine. can take anywhere. Not even eight oclock and hes already drunk!). Bonne pomme Bonne poire is a pejorative French expression that you can use to call someone gullible or stupid. So what are you waiting for? For the most part, they live in Suisse romande, or Romandy, in the western part of the country. Download: And heres the really confusing part: the French call lunch le djeuner and breakfast le petit djeuner, whereas the Swiss call lunch le dner and breakfast le djeuner! Though you wont find any Belgian speakers, Belgium is home to a diverse bunch of national languages. In this multicultural and multilingual country with four official languages (French, German, Italian and Romansh), the Swiss French phrases also known as Helvetisms can certainly throw off the French speakers on the other side of the border. (I am 99 percent sure!). According to the Federal Statistics Office, about 23 percent of Swiss residents declared French as their main language in 2013 (nearly 64 percent declared German). You won't forget this slang term it contains the English word 'boss' which will help you call the word to mind. The site has, of course, news headlines, live radio streaming and podcasts, among other publicly available information translated into the four national languages of Switzerland, as well as English. From Geneva to Lausanne, the Swiss have a particular way of expressing themselves. In addition, some expressions have been borrowed from both Swiss and Standard German. Tu es rest croch ? Etre du en bien: Be pleasantly surprised (tre agrablement surpris in France), a va, le chalet? However, following a period of heavy industrialization, German influence became a threat to Switzerlands independence during World War II. Did you know that French is the native language of over 200 million people? Tenir les pouces: Just like in Anglo countries, crossing fingers brings good luck in Suisse Romande. Despite what some people think, Swiss French is really not that different from standard French. Meals. Schwiizerdtsch is almost its own language totally. Just a note: having a gonfle au pied wont keep you from having pied fond. is quite different from that spoken in Geneva. Let's go and have a beer after work. Due to the upbeat nature of their music, it may be hard to follow along with all the words, but youll catch most! So this website can function correctly please whitelist The Local with your adblocker, antivirus software or browser add on. In 1975, a Swiss company introduced a series of mobile car phones called "Nationales Auto-TELefonnetz," abbreviated "Natel." Although this expression is not really used anymore and now a little clich, many others words are unique to Swiss-French. 5. The group combines Cajun and Zydeco influences to produce a funky rock fusion sound. Watching news videos or reading articles is great for beginner language learners because of the visual context offered in a video and the ability to search new words you might find in an article. Faire la pice droite (lit. But what it actually means there is no rush, no urgency. Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'6Hf0LXakSrl1FCbkyvRRXA',sig:'2v4lKXjmkGpfbEkuclgi-WpYvxCnLNo1mPAF6Mc0vxs=',w:'594px',h:'397px',items:'111072395',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); Bond girl Ursula Andress was born to Swiss German parents, and, like many Swiss Germans, spoke fluent French. Hows it going?). When youre really excited or happy about something, you can say Extra sky blue! in Swiss French. : Tu as encore mis le cheni in Switzerland to learn new slang, and.! For its lakes ), Swiss French would sayFates seulement ( literally, Do it alone, otherwise meaning away! Borrowed from both Swiss and French friends about vocabulary and expressions unique to Suisse Romande, what differentiates Swiss... Its lakes ), youll find Italian speakers three are bilingual in French affectionate, something.. 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