Zurich German is the Swiss German of the canton of Zurich, and it is mostly spoken. The Federal Statistical Office found that 89 in 100 people in the German-speaking part of Switzerland use Swiss German, and Standard German is the language of writing. That leaves few apps built for the dialect, and several of them teach another one.
This page checks, app by app, which dialect each one teaches. For classes, a dictionary, and radio, see the best ways to learn Zurich German. If you'd rather read and write the German of Swiss books and news, see our Swiss Standard German app comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Swiss German. You learn from Swiss German you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Zurich German lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so that you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
To learn it in Bubblegum, pick German, then Zürich Swiss German under More Varieties. Try asking Poppy why people in Zürich say nöd where Standard German says .
Bubblegum focuses on reading and listening more than speaking, so for conversation, book a teacher in Practice With a Teacher.
- Lessons are written in Zurich German, like Mir gönd go ässe for We're going to eat, with the dialect's own verbs and word order.
- Poppy accepts other valid spellings of a word when you ask about it, since Zurich German has no official spelling.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, and you can export them to Anki as flashcards.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- The read-aloud voices are standard German voices told to speak Zürich German, and there are no Swiss voices, so listen to people from Zürich too.
- A few dialect-only words may have no dictionary link.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Swissli is the one app we found where you choose Zurich German when you start, and Schweizerdeutsch Wörterbuch is a dictionary of the Zurich dialect. The details are in the list below.
Other Apps We Looked At (3)
- SwissliShort lessons from A1 to B2, where you choose Zurich German, Bernese German, or Swiss High German. Sentences and words come with recordings in the dialect you pick, and its screens are in English only. It is free to download with a paid Premium plan, and it has only a few ratings so far.
- Schweizerdeutsch WörterbuchA paid dictionary of the Zurich dialect with about 10,600 entries that translates both ways between Swiss German and Standard German. Each word has audio from a speaker from Switzerland, it works offline, and its screens are in German.
- Learn Swiss GermanA paid phrase app sorted by themes such as shopping, travel, and telling time, with translations inspired by the Zurich region dialect in text and speech. Its screens are in English only.
These two courses teach Swiss German in general, and their pages name no region. Ask for a sample lesson, and check whether the speaker sounds like people in Zürich.
Other Apps We Looked At (3)
- PimsleurAudio lessons of about 30 minutes, with a 7-day free trial. Its Swiss German page calls the language an Alemannic dialect and doesn't name a region.
- DropsWord games with professional audio recordings, and a free 5-minute session each day. Its Swiss German page names no dialect.
- uTalkIts Swiss German course teaches Bernese German, the dialect of the canton of Bern, so its words and sounds won't always match Zürich.
italki
Read the profiles for the word Zürich, and tell the teacher you want to learn how people there talk.
- Swiss German teachers, and several profiles name Zürich dialect.
- Every profile has a button to book a trial lesson.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply's tutor profiles say which dialect each person teaches, so choose one who names Zurich.
- Swiss German tutors, including one who teaches the Zurich dialect.
- A trial lesson of 25 or 50 minutes before you sign up for a course.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (1)
- Swiss German for BeginnersLive online classes in groups of up to 8, private lessons, a self-study course, two books, and free YouTube videos from a teacher born in the canton of Zurich. Her podcast Beyond the Alps is in Zurich dialect.
Each number is how many languages you can use the app in, including script variants. The dictionary's screens are in German.
| App | Languages You Can Use It In | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 76 | Full list
|
| Swissli | 1 | Full list |
| Schweizerdeutsch Wörterbuch | 1 | Full list |
| Learn Swiss German | 1 | Full list |
| Pimsleur | 3 | Full list |
| Drops | 16 | Full list |
| uTalk | 1 | Full list |
| italki | 19 | Full list |
| Preply | 19 | Full list |
| Swiss German for Beginners | — | — |
Which Zurich German app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Swiss German, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Swissli if you'd like short lessons with audio for every sentence, and pick Zurich German when it asks.
Do I need an app that names Zurich German?
It helps. Swiss German dialects differ in sound and words, and an app that names none could be teaching Bern or Basel. A Zurich speaker will understand it, but you'll learn phrases that people around Zürich don't use.
How do apps spell a language with no official spelling?
Each app picks one readable spelling. Bubblegum writes hüt for today and Chind for child, and another writer may spell the same words differently.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Bubblegum: Zürich Swiss German
- Zurich German on Wikipedia: essentially a spoken language, with no official orthography
- Federal Statistical Office: 65% of people in Switzerland use Swiss German, and 89% in the German-speaking region (survey 2019)
- Swissli: Learn Swiss German on the App Store (Zurich German, Bernese German or Swiss High German; levels A1 to B2; audio)
- Schweizerdeutsch Wörterbuch on the App Store (a Zurich dialect dictionary with audio)
- Learn Swiss German on the App Store (phrases inspired by the Zurich region dialect, in text and speech)
- Pimsleur: Swiss German (Alemannic dialect, no region named; 30-minute lessons; 7-day free trial)
- Drops: Swiss German (no dialect named; free daily 5-minute session)
- uTalk: German Swiss (the variant recorded is Bernese German)
- Swiss German for Beginners: courses, books, YouTube videos
- Beyond the Alps: a Swiss German (Züridütsch) podcast
- italki: Swiss German teachers (profiles that mention Zurich dialect)
- Preply: Swiss German course and tutors (including a Zurich dialect tutor)
- Pimsleur: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Drops: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- uTalk: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- italki: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Preply: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
