From ‘un natel’ to of course the numbering system, what are some of the most important Swiss French words - and why?
While we’ve covered our readers favourite Swiss German words, there are also a few Swiss French gems out there.
‘Just so fun to say’: Are these the best Swiss-German words to learn?
Even if you can’t narrow it down, give us a couple of examples of words you like in Swiss French.
Alternately, if there’s a word you absolutely can’t stand, then tell us about it.
In Switzerland, you might hear the term 'Bünzli' to describe someone. What does it mean?
One of many cultural curiosities, a Bünzli is someone who is simultaneously very Swiss – but whom the Swiss make significant fun of.
The term has no direct English translation, which can make it a little confusing at first to understand.
At least in part because it is relatively difficult to translate into English, the word Bünzli itself is often used among English speakers who live in Switzerland.
Here’s what you need to know about Bünzli, a truly Swiss phenomenon.
What is a Bünzli?
The term Bünzli is a Swiss German insult to describe a particular type of person who is set in their ways, has narrow mind and view of things and tries desperately hard to hang onto tradition. It is almost always used as a criticism or in a negative context.
While the internet gives up the translation ‘philistine’ in English, there are other elements which make a Bünzli a Bünzli.
This insult – based on a real Swiss surname – applies to those boring people who follow all the rules and make sure everyone else does too.
Other English words like fussy, fastidious, stodgy and exact also describe a Bünzli.
A Bünzli is the sort of person who would never cross the street when the light is red, who never stays out too late and never gets too drunk.
A Bünzli will have a perfectly manicured garden and will never want to split a bill evenly, instead demanding to pay exactly what he or she had – and nothing more.
He is also the person most likely to complain to the building president when you dare to do your washing on Sunday, or to ring the police when he sees someone parked in front of a fire hydrant.
Some say Bünzli are particularly Swiss, like a distilled, concentrated form of pure Swiss-ness, although the fact that Bünzli are usually the target of ridicule from Swiss people indicates that foreigners are not the only ones who find the behaviour weird or out of line.
The best English translation is probably a ‘goody two-shoes’, although in this case the more likely attire is socks paired with Adiletten. Yep, you get the idea.
Wearing Adiletten with socks doesn’t make you a Buenzli…but it helps. Photo: Christian H. Flickr
Still not sure what a Bünzli is?
If you still don’t know what a Bünzli is, it might be helpful to see a few further examples.
The following YouTube video goes through some specifics of the Bünzli is in Swiss German (although if you already speak Swiss German, you’ll likely know what a Bünzli is).
Switzerland’s English forum often holds debates where expats look to discover the exact meaning of the term.
Swiss news site Watson lists several reader examples of their Bünzli experiences, from having the police called for a noise complaint at 10:01pm, to telling tourists who asked for directions while holding a train door open to let go of the door so the train can leave.
How do I spot one?
For those who still don’t exactly know what a Bünzli is, don’t fret.
It’ll often happen the other way around, i.e. the Bünzli will discover you, when you haven’t done your recycling or when your doormat is the wrong way around in front of your apartment or when you cycle across the pedestrian crossing with no cars around.
Keep the above in mind and trust us, you’ll know one when you see one.
Have you had any Bünzli experiences? Please let us know in the comments below.
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