Best Ways to Learn Zurich German in 2026

Zurich German, or Züritüütsch, is the Swiss German spoken in the canton of Zurich. The canton says people mostly speak Swiss German day to day and write Standard German, so a Standard German course only prepares you for part of what you'll hear. About two thirds of people in Switzerland use Swiss German regularly.

Few apps teach Swiss German, and many that do cover other dialects. Our German app comparison covers apps for Standard German, which you'll still read and write in Zurich.

Custom Lessons Made for You

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, that you've just moved to Zürich and want to chat with your coworkers at lunch, and she writes a lunch-table conversation at your level. Play it, and ask her what any line means.

Bubblegum focuses on reading and listening more than speaking, so for speaking practice, book a teacher in Practice With a Teacher.

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Lessons are written in Zurich German, like Wie gaats? for How are you?, so you read it the way people say it.
Lessons are read aloud by voices that are told to speak Zürich German, not Standard German.
Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, and you can export them to Anki.
Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.

The read-aloud voices are standard German voices with no Swiss voices of their own, so listen to people from Zürich too.
Zurich German has no official spelling, so Bubblegum uses one readable spelling, and other writers may spell the same words differently.
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

Practice With a Teacher

italki

On italki, read the teacher profiles for the word Zürich. Several teachers say they teach Zurich dialect, and you can ask one to practice a trip to the supermarket or a chat with a neighbor.

Browse Swiss German teachers, including some who teach Zürich dialect.
Book a trial lesson to hear how a teacher speaks first.

Lessons are paid, and each teacher sets their own price.

MobileWeb

Preply

Preply has Swiss German tutors for different dialects, so ask yours to teach Zurich German before you book.

Book one-to-one Swiss German lessons over video.
One tutor lists lessons in the Zurich dialect.

Prices and teaching styles change from tutor to tutor.

MobileWeb

Apps and Dictionaries for Zurich German

Other Apps We Looked At (3)

SwissliShort Swiss German lessons with audio for sentences and words, where you pick Zurich German, Bernese German, or Swiss High German. Its screens are in English only, and Premium is a paid yearly or monthly plan. It has only a few ratings so far.
Schweizerdeutsch WörterbuchA paid dictionary of about 10,600 Zurich dialect entries that translates both ways between Swiss German and Standard German, with audio from Swiss speakers. It works offline, and its screens are in German.
Learn Swiss GermanPhrases for everyday talk, shopping, and travel, with Swiss German translations inspired by the Zurich region dialect, in written and spoken form.

Books, Classes, and Radio

voCHabular is a self-study project from Solinetz Zürich, with books, a web app, and a word list. According to SRF, its course teaches a simple Zurich German that stays close to Standard German, and it aims first at helping you understand conversations.

Sprachschule Schneider offers Swiss German courses taught in English.

For listening, SRF's Dini Mundart – Schnabelweid is a radio show and podcast about Swiss German, with readings and songs from the whole German-speaking part of Switzerland, so you'll hear other dialects too. uTalk's Swiss German course teaches the Bernese dialect, so it won't match Zurich speech.

Which Zurich German Apps Are Free?

App	Free?	What's Free
Bubblegum	Free version	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.
italki	Paid	You pay for each lesson, and each teacher sets their own price. Practicing with the community and taking the level test are free.
Preply	Paid	You pay for each lesson, and each tutor sets their own price. If your first tutor isn't a good fit, you can try two more for free.
Swissli	Not stated	It is free to download, and Swissli Premium is a paid plan. Its page does not say which lessons are free.
Schweizerdeutsch Wörterbuch	Paid	It is a paid app on the App Store.
Learn Swiss German	Paid	It is a paid app on the App Store.

Learn Zurich German in Your Language

Try one lesson in your language before you pay.

App	Languages You Can Use It In	Full List
Bubblegum	74	Supported language pairs
Swissli	1	App Store
Schweizerdeutsch Wörterbuch	1	App Store
italki	19	Full list
Preply	19	Full list
Learn Swiss German	1	App Store

Common Questions

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 Swiss German lessons with audio for every sentence.

Is Zurich German the same as Swiss German?

Zurich German is one of many Swiss German dialects, and the others, like Bernese, differ in sound and words. Swiss German is mainly spoken, and Standard German is the written language, so you'll read Standard German on signs and in letters.

Do I need to learn Standard German first?

No. Standard German is the written language, so you'll meet it on signs and in letters, and lessons in Zurich German help with the talk around you.

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.