In the mood of a recent post about hiking in Switzerland I thought it fitting to introduce a basic Swiss German hiking vocabulary. Indeed, in Switzerland it is customary for hikers to greet each other when crossing or overtaking another hiker.
Now, you can definitely hike in Switzerland without knowing any Swiss German but I think it's still nice to be able to greet the people you'll meet on the trails with a local greeting, wouldn't you agree?!
Guete Morge - good morning
Guete Tag - good day
Guete Abig - good evening
Hoi - hi, hello, informal greeting for friends or young people in general
Hallo - hi, hello, informal greetings for friends or young people in general
Hoi zäme - hello all, informal greeting for a group of friends or young people
En Guete - bon appetit, enjoy your meal
Zum Wohl - to your health, used in the same way as En Guete
Proscht - cheers, chin chin, used for drinks, in the hiking context also for non-alcoholic drinks
Lunch - lunch, meal out of your backpack
Rucksack - backpack
wandere - hiking
Wanderig - hike
Wanderschueh - hiking boots
Wanderwäg - hiking trail
(Wander-)Charte - hiking map, trail map
© 2014 IRENE WYRSCH "A HUMOROUS GUIDE TO SWITZERLAND" ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Now, you can definitely hike in Switzerland without knowing any Swiss German but I think it's still nice to be able to greet the people you'll meet on the trails with a local greeting, wouldn't you agree?!
How to Greet a Hiker in Switzerland
Grüezi - formal greeting, polite greeting, is used for strangers, can be used any time of the dayGuete Morge - good morning
Guete Tag - good day
Guete Abig - good evening
Hoi - hi, hello, informal greeting for friends or young people in general
Hallo - hi, hello, informal greetings for friends or young people in general
Hoi zäme - hello all, informal greeting for a group of friends or young people
How to Converse at Lunch Hour
Chances are you'll be sharing your lunch or picnic spot with a few more people. It is customary for Swiss people to wish each other a nice meal or an enjoyable meal before starting to eat.En Guete - bon appetit, enjoy your meal
Zum Wohl - to your health, used in the same way as En Guete
Proscht - cheers, chin chin, used for drinks, in the hiking context also for non-alcoholic drinks
More Swiss German Hiking Vocabulary
Lunch - lunch, meal out of your backpack
Rucksack - backpack
wandere - hiking
Wanderig - hike
Wanderschueh - hiking boots
Wanderwäg - hiking trail
(Wander-)Charte - hiking map, trail map
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| take a rest on your hiking trail - Petra Dirscherl / pixelio.de |
© 2014 IRENE WYRSCH "A HUMOROUS GUIDE TO SWITZERLAND" ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Very interesting. Simple greetings are so good to communicate with people in a foreign country. Friendship starts from saying "Hello!" in the language of the locals. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI agree. Knowing the basic greetings in the local language will always open doors...
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