The Alternative Swiss German Dictionary
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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