Each country in the world has its official language. The official language of the country is determined by many factors like political, socio-demographic, financial, regional, people, and cultural. For example, the official language of Korea is Korean. It is its official language because it is native to 80 million people. You can find a difference in dialects spoken in South and North Korea because of regional nuances. To understand this difference, you must take assistance from professional Korean translation services. Usually, the constitution of any country designates one official language. However, some countries have more than one official language. Switzerland is one of them.
Languages Spoken in Switzerland
Switzerland is a beautiful country with a captivating landscape. The quality of life in this country is very high. People from around the world came here for higher studies, secure jobs, and to enjoy their vacations. It is ranked in the top 5 destinations among 10 places to study. Many Korean ex-pats are also residing in Switzerland. To deal with these ex-pats, officials of the country go for Korean translation services. To make your stay fruitful in Switzerland, you must know that there are four official languages in Switzerland. Let’s have a look at these languages.
German
People living in the Northern, Eastern, and Central parts of Switzerland speak the German language. Around 63% of the inhabitants of this country speak German. These speakers are called Mundar, Dialekt, and Dütsch. If you are in this country for studies then you should know that German is spoken in different dialects. It often becomes complex for foreigners to differentiate between dialects. Here translation services are of great help.
Standard German is used in formal communication, newspapers, and books. Therefore, it makes communication easier. The Swiss dialect of German is a formation of Alemannic dialects. These dialects are also mixed with French expressions. The Swiss German speakers are proud of their linguistic diversity.
French
French is spoken in the Western part of Switzerland. Approximately 20% of the population speaks French. If you are planning to visit Lausanne or Geneva in this country then French translation services are of great help. This is because the majority of people living in these cities speak French. They are considered French destinations for tourists.
The difference between Swiss French and standard French is more minute than the difference between Swiss German and standard German. The little variations in Swiss French do not cause any problems for people that speak Standard French. This difference in French is interesting for the foreigners that came across it.
Do you know that 6170 Canadian citizens are also residing in Switzerland? As French is also the official language of Canada other than English, French Canadian translation services are of great help to Canadian citizens living in this country.
Italian
People living in the South of Switzerland speak the Italian language. Approximately 70,0000 people in this country speak the Italian language. Italian people form the third-largest national community in Switzerland. It is 8% of the total population. The Lombard people are greatly impressed by German and French, the confusion only occurs if you speak standard Italian. Worry not. In this situation, you can go for professional Italian translation services.
Just like Swiss French, Swiss Italian is clearly understood by Italian students. The important thing to note is that Italian dialects like Ticinese and Lombard are mutually intelligible with Standard Italian except for a few loanwords that are taken from German and French language. In Italy, you can order cornetto from the bakery whereas, in Switzerland, you have to order chafer. To differentiate the Italian language spoken in Italy and Switzerland, you must take the assistance of Italian translation services.
Romansh
The other language that the people of Switzerland speak is Romansh. This language got recognition in 1996 in this country. Around 60,000 people living in this country speak this language. The unfortunate part of this language is that this language is not recognized by tourists. In the entire of Switzerland, the Southern-eastern canton of Grisons used this language as a medium of education and governance. This language is spoken in the mountainous region of Southeastern Switzerland. The way this language has survived in the 21st century despite two important languages, German and Italian, is remarkable. Moreover, this language has taken many loan words from German. Although the Romansh-speaking community is small still they use five Romansh dialects in daily life.
Multilingual Life in Switzerland
The cantons of Switzerland like Valais, Bern, and Fribourg are bilingual because people residing in these areas speak German and French. Additionally, the Grisons canton is trilingual because Romansh, German and Italian are designated official languages of this region.
Switzerland is known as a multilingual community. Many global companies, political organizations, and international banks are working in this beautiful country because of its Multilingual diverse workforce.
Wrapping Up
The languages spoken in Switzerland are German, French, Italian, and Romansh. Romansh is the minority language. If you visit any place in Switzerland then you will find warning signs in three of its official languages. Therefore you won’t face a communication barrier. In case you face communication barriers due to different dialects then you can take the assistance of professional translation services.
