1 Overview
We’ve created this guide to help you get closer to your Swiss customers. A web presence that is in tune with Switzerland’s culture will make your customers feel well disposed to you, and give them the confidence to do business with you. Get the little details right, and you'll be in a good position right from the start in your new market.
2 The main language
Figures released by the Swiss Federal Council show that in Switzerland:
- German is spoken by 63% of the population
- French is spoken by 22.7% of the population
- Italian is spoken by 8.4% of the population
- Romansch is spoken by 0.6% of the population
The country has three distinct areas each with its own language.
| German-speaking cities and population | French-speaking cities and population | Italian-speaking cities and population |
|---|---|---|
| Zurich 970,000 | Geneva 410,000 | Lugano 40,000 |
| Bern 290,000 | Lausanne 240,000 | Bellinzona 25,000 |
| Basel 240,000 | Motreaux 50,000 | Locarno 20,000 |
3 Formality
Should you be formal or informal when addressing your Swiss customers?
Swiss society is rather formal and respects people’s privacy. Always address someone first by their professional title, e.g. Dr., than their family name, and only use their first name when you are asked to.
The way you address your customers will vary depending on which language is spoken in the area you're doing business in.
| Title | German-speaking area | French - speaking area | Italian - speaking area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Herr | Monsieur | Signore |
| Female | Frau | Madame | Signora |
| Teenage girls | Fraülein | Mademoiselle | Signorina |
In Switzerland, products can be written about in an informal way. At times this can verge on playful. Products with this playful informality include YouTube, Gmail, and Google Play.
If you have a financial product, a legal service, or are talking about money, you should adopt a formal tone and style.
4 Numbering systems and formats
Numerals
Decimal separator
This is a dot or full stop (.). e.g. 1.5 hours
Telephone numbers
The country code is +41. Telephone numbers are in the format: (+41) 12 3456789. Without the country code, telephone numbers are in the format: 030 12345678.
Mobile numbers have the prefix 0151,
e.g. 0151/1234567.
Freephone numbers usually have the prefix 0848.
5 Currency format
Swiss Franc. This is represented by Fr. Its trading three letter code CHF.
The franc note denominations are 1,000 fr, 200 fr, 100 fr, 50 fr, 20 fr, 10, fr are the franc note denominations. The franc coin denominations are 1 fr, 2 fr, 5 fr.
6 Dates and times
Date and time formats
In Switzerland the date format is DD.MM.YYYY. The day, month, and year are separated by a full point,
e.g. 24.03.17.
7 Hour formats
The 24-hour clock is used in Switzerland in everyday speech and in writing. German speakers use the 12-hour format in everyday speech.
The 24-hour format is favoured on digital devices like PCs, phones, tablets, etc. and is the standard format on Android where the separator is a colon,
e.g. 14:24.
8 Important rules
Here are the top five translation tips that will make you sound like a local in no time:
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Take a note of spelling, punctuation, pricing, date formats, measurements, terminology, etc
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Give your translators as much background information as possible on the purpose of your communication, and your target audience
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Give your translators enough time to do the translation. This will result in a more natural, local-sounding communication
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Know your audience and define your style and tone based on that. What works for professional IT specialists won't work for teenagers and vice versa
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Create a natural-sounding communication by avoiding being too literal and writing a word-for-word translation