The Alternative Swiss German Dictionary

Swiss German slang - a part of The Alternative Dictionaries collection.

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a
alk (masc. noun)
abbrev. for alcohol derived noun: 'alki' (an alcoholic). expressions used in the urban Zurich region, maybe also others

b
bisle (verb)
- to pee,to piss 'papi, ich muess go bisle!
bocke,böckle,böhndle (verb)
+ to fuck etym. 'bock' (buck) ?
borromini (masc. noun)
100-Franc-bill the name of the man shown on the bill. so: 1 Borromini =1 lappä = 20 schnäggä
brunz,brunzen (masc.noun,verb)
piss,to piss
burghölzli (noun)
house of the insane name of a psychiatric clinic.example: if you think somebody is really crazy, you say as a statement 'Burghölzli eifach!' (B. one-way!). related expressions:'vom gälbe wägeli abgholt werdä' (to be picked up by the yellow little car) or 'em gälbe wägeli aalüütä' (to call up the small yellow car)
böögg(noun)
- bogey (the green slimy thing up your nose) synonyms: schnuder-böögg, schnuder-nase
bürschte (noun,verb)
+ to fuck lit. 'to brush'.only the verb is used with the 'bad' meaning

c
chabis (masc. noun)
+ female breasts lit. 'chabis' means 'cabbage' (german 'Kohl').
nonsense,bullshit example; 'chabis useloo' (to let out cabbage) means to talk bullshit
chatz (fem. noun)
a pretty lady lit. 'cat'. example: 'das ich e chatz!' (what a lady!).used in a positive sense
chiis,chiisä (noun,verb)
cash,money (noun) example: 'häsch gnueg chiis?' (do you have enough money?)
to vomit,to throw up (verb) lit. 'chiis' means 'gravel' (german 'Kies') example: 'muäsch chiisä?' (are you going to throw up?)
chlapf (masc. noun)
car lit. 'bang'. 'schönä chlapf !' (nice car !). 'ä chlapf haa' (1. 'to have a car'; 2. 'to be drunk')
chlöibi (n.noun)
money,cash lit. 'tape' (region Zurich) example: 'bruuchsch chlöibi?
chnopf (masc. noun)
child,kid lit. 'button'
chörblä (verb)
- to throw up,to vomit etym. 'chorb' (german 'Korb') means basket. But maybe derived from the stronger verb 'chotzä' (german 'kotzen')

d
d' lampe fülle (sent.)
get drunk lit. 'to fill the lamp'
drägg (noun, feminine)
shit Usually used in conjunction with something else,as in "Schiessdrägg" (a variant of the German "Scheisse", i.e. shit) or in Bernese dialect "Bäredrägg" (bear shit), a normal occurrence in a town which has fed bears in a downtown pit for the last 900 years.
dä löffel abgäa (expr.)
to die lit. 'to give away the spoon' (german 'den Löffel abgeben')
dä schniider haa (expr.)
+ menstruation days lit. 'to have the cutter'. example 'si hätt dä schniider' (she has got her days)

e
e chappe aahaa (sent.)
be drunk lit. 'to wear a cap'.example:'häsch e chappe aa ?' (are you drunk ?)
en (suurä) schtäi machä (expr.)
to look unhappy,unfriendly lit. 'to make a sour stone' ( lit. german 'einen sauren Stein machen')
ex !(expr.)
bottoms up ! (empty your glass in one go) there is also a verb 'exä' for this way of drinking

f
figg,figgä (noun,verb)
fuck,to fuck
FIGUGEGL (expr)
abbrev for lit. 'fondue is good and gives you a good mood' the abbreviation itself hs become a 'standing expression' now. the full text is 'fondue isch guät und git e guäti luunä'
fuer(fem. noun)
party (region Bern). 'fuer' (pron fu-er'), german 'fuder' normal meaning cn be translated as 'a load' example: 'wo isch ä fuer ?' (where is a party?)
futz (masc. noun)
+ cunt same in german: fotze
futzä-schläcker (noun)
+ a (small) dog lit. 'cunt-licker'.the handy small-size dog that is sitting on Ladies knees all day long.
föhn,föhnä (noun,verb)
army gun (noun) an expression quite widely used in the army
fart (noun)
to fart (verb) etym. 'Föhn' is the warm wind coming from south
für d' füchs (expr)
in vain,for nothing,with no use lit. 'for the foxes' .example: 'er hät die ganz arbet für d' füchs gmacht' (he did the entire work in vain)

g
giggerig (adj.)
(sexually) hot,keen example: 'du masch mi giggerig' (you turn me on, you make me hot). same meaning as 'schpitz'
goof(noun)
kid,child often used with a 'negative touch' example: 'd goofe am hals haa' (lit. having the kids at your neck; having to care for the kids)
gopfertami! (sent.)
damned! etym. 'god-shall-damn-me'. used as a curse. very short version : 'tami !'
gopfertori! (sent.)
damned! etym. derived from 'gopfertami'.
gschmöcksch de töff? (expr)
do you understand? do you see the problem? lit. 'do you smell the motorbike?' synonyms: 'gsehsch de pögg?' (do you see the puck) 'tschäggs es?'. If you dont, say: 'ich verschtoh nur bahnhof!' (lit. 'i understand only railway station!', it's all a mystery to me)
gummi (masc.noun)
condom synonym: 'pariser'
guuge,güügele(fem. noun,verb)
a bottle of beer (noun),to drink acohol (verb) example: 'er güügelet' (he is drinking 'around') the verb mæns drinking in a sense of 'drinking to be tipped'- always a little but never really drunk. the noun has also alot of other (different) meanings
gülle,güllne (verb)
to drink alcohol 'gülle' (noun) is the liquid part of from farm animals excrements which the farmer brings out to the fields (in german 'Jauche'). Also the noun is sometimes used with the meaning of 'booze'. verb is more common (Basel/Zurich/Lucerne).example: 'geschter oobig simmer go güllne gsi' (yesterday eve we have been out drinking)

h
hamburger (masc. noun)
young soldier in his first service after the basic service a common army expression
huerä,nuttä (fem. nouns)
+ see above 'huerä' used as adj. in similar meaning like 'fucking' or 'damned'. example: 'huerä gueti schow!' (fuckin' good show!)
prostitute,hooker
hödi (noun)
the light motorcycles that teenies ride synon. 'töffli' etym. probably from the noise it makes. 'hödi-buebe' or 'töffli-buebe' (hödi-boys) are the teenies in the black leather jackets
höhlä (verb)
to empty (a bottle) derived from adj. 'hohl' (hollow). region Zurich

i
im fass haa (expr.)
to understand, to know (by learning) lit. 'to have in the barrel'. example 'häsch s im fass?' (do you understand this?)

k
kackeria (noun)
toilet like pizzeria,cafeteria,...

l
lappä (masc.noun)
100, 100 Franc-bill etym 'lappä' equals the german 'Lappen', a towel maybe used to clean the table or the floor examples: 'er hät uf de Autobahn zwee Läppe druff gha' (lit. he had on the highway 2 'lappä' (=200 km/h)
lämpä (noun, pl.)
trouble,problems example: 'wottsch lämpä haa?' (are you lookin for trouble?)
lööli (noun)
idiot example: 'bisch en lööli gsi!' (you have been an idiot!)
the sign for 'driving student' this sign is a white L on blue field

p
pfupf,pfupfä (noun,verb)
a fuck,to fuck the 'normal' meaning of the noun is 'punch,power' examples: 'do isch käi pfupf drii!' (there is no punch inside!) 'er hät si pfupft' (he fucked her) see also rudelpfupf
pizza (noun)
the result of vomiting 'ä pizza leggä' (lit. 'to put a pizza') means to throw up

r
rudelpfupf (masc. noun)
+ sex in a group etym. 'rudel' means 'group'
rüde,rüdä,rüdig (adv)
very (pron with long ü) (region Lucerne only). etym. from german adj. 'räudig' which is an animals disease. example: 'rüde gross' (very big)

s
s chalb machä (expr.)
to joke lit. 'to make the calve'. example 'machsch s chalb?' (are you kidding?)
schafseckel (noun)
++ sheeps testicals usage du bisch en schafseckel meaning you are an asshole
schiffe (verb)
to piss,to rain etym. probably from 'schiff' (ship). example: 'ich mues go schiffe' (i have to go to piss)
schiissi (fem. noun)
+ toilet etym. 'schiissä' (verb) (german 'scheissen') means to shit'. a rude expression for the toilet.
schlampae (fem. noun)
+ slut, bitch du bisch ae schlampae
schnore (noun,verb)
mouth, to chat examples: (noun) ' heb d' schnore zue !' (shut up !) (lit. 'keep the mouth closed!') (verb) 'er schnoret die ganz ziit' (he's chatting all the time)
schnägg (noun)
+ pussy,cunt see above
5-Franc coin lit. ' snail'.example: 'gimmer en schnägg!' (gimme 5 Fr !)
schoggi-schtooss (noun)
+ an ass-fuck lit 'chocolate-push'
schpitz (adj)
sexually hot related to german 'spitzig' (examples: 'du maschsch mi schpitz' (you turn me on) 'ich bin schpitz' (i am hot).
schtangä (fem. noun)
glass of beer, normally 3 dl original meaning of 'schtangä' (german 'Stange')is 'pole'. But that is not important here! to order 2 more: 'no zwee schtangä bitte!'
schtossä (verb)
+ to fuck lit. 'to push' (german 'stossen')
schtute(fem. noun)
a pretty lady lit. '(female) horse' (german 'Stute')
schtäi,schtutz (masc. nouns)
money,cash lit. 'schtäi' means 'stones'. used in pl.
schtützlisex (noun)
coin-sex-place its simple: for 3 Francs/min you watch the striptease from your cabin trough a slot in the wall. etym: 'schtutz' (dimin. 'schtützli') a one Franc-coin. example 'in schtützlisex goo' (to visit a coin-sex-place)
schwudi,schwuppel,schwuchtlä (nouns)
+ gay derived from 'schwul' (gay).
schyss (masc. noun)
shit, excrement
schyssdrägg
shit, piece of shit cognate of German "Scheissdreck," used of a person: signifies someone held in low esteem. Note also "schyssdräggzüegli", essentially meaning a campfollower but in the special context of the Basler Fassnacht refering to people who march in the Fassnach parade without belonging to one of the official local clubs.
schysse!(expletive)
Shit! Exact cognate of German Scheisse
schällä (fem. noun,verb)
+ testicals,balls expression for a kind of bell (german 'Schelle') example: 'a dä schällä chratzä' (to scratch the balls) the verb means just 'to ring'
seckel (noun)
+ testicals etym. connected with sack (bag) saeckli (small bag) usage (noun) du bisch en seckel (verb) ver-seckeln to betray, to cheat, to bullshit someone
seich (masc. noun)
piss usage (verb,noun): 'seichen' to piss, to rain 'so en seich !' what a shit !
siech (masc. noun)
type,guy (noun) (pron: 'si-ech').etym: original old meaning of 'siech' was 'sick'; linked to german 'Seuche' (disease) usage 'du bisch en sibesiech' ('sibe'=7) (you can more than others) 'tumme siech !' (stupid asshole !) insulting in combination with various adj
stink (masc. noun)
shit excrement. not used as an expletive or insultingly. Frequenly used with children. "Hesch a Stink gmacht?" = "Did you make a mess?"
süffel(noun)
quick drinker, slammer examples:'bisch en süffel!' (you are a slammer !). there is a verb 'suufe' (german 'saufen')

t
tschau Sepp! (expr.)
a way how to play cards lit. 'bye,Johnny!'
tschugger (masc. noun)
policeman,cop syn: 'schmiär-lappä' .the epression for police is 'tschuggerei' or 'd schmiär' . ('schmiäri' is the grease you use to lubricate machinery)
tschäggsch es? (expr)
do you understand? you got it? etym. from english 'to check'.this expression is widely used in the urban Zurich region
tubel (noun)
+ a total ignorant, idiot etymology unknown. the word itself is probably very old

u
uuf-riisse (trans. verb)
to pick up somebody lit. 'to tear open'. noun 'uuf-riss' example 'bisch uf em uufriss?' (are you trying to pick up somebody) 'er hät eini uufgrisse' (he has picked up a girl)
uufgschtellt (adj.)
open,optimistic,fresh,dynamic,interesting lit. 'put-up' ( lit. german 'auf-gestellt'). used to characterize a person .(very common region Zurich)

w
warme, der (masc. noun)
homosexual 'warm' (adj) means the same in english
wichser,wixer (noun)
wanker wichsen,wixen (verb) to wank,to masturbate

z
zäigä wo dä Bartli dä moscht hollt (sent.)
+ to show you who is the boss-in-command lit. 'to show where Bartli goes to get the cider'. Bartli is a name (dimin. of Bartholomy ?).example: 'ich zäig der wo dä Bartli dä moscht hollt !' (i am the boss here!)

ä
ä chlapf (aff,siech,chäib) haa (expr.)
to be drunk lit 'ä chlapf haa' means 'to have a bang'.using 'siech' or 'chäib' instead of 'chlapf ' is stronger. 'aff ' means 'ape'.

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