Language/Swiss-german/Vocabulary/Count-to-10

Swiss German Vocabulary - Count to 10

Hi Swiss German learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to count to 10 in Swiss German. Counting is an essential skill that you can use on a daily basis.

Why Learn Swiss German Numbers?

Numbers play a significant role in our daily lives. Knowing numbers enables us to tell the time, pay for groceries, and understand prices. Counting is also essential in learning math and science. Learning how to count in Swiss German allows you to interact better with locals and appreciate their culture by speaking the language.

Basic Number Vocabulary

Before we start counting to 10, let's first learn basic Swiss German number vocabulary:

Swiss German	Pronunciation	English
null	null	zero
eins	ayns	one
zwei	tsvey	two
drü	dri	three
vier	feer	four
füf	füf	five
sächs	sächs	six
sibe	seebeh	seven
acht	acht	eight
nün	nün	nine
zähn	tseen	ten

Now that we can recognize Swiss German numbers in writing, let's learn to pronounce them like a native Swiss. I suggest you repeat after me:

• null (zero) - /nʊl/
• eins (one) - /ainz/
• zwei (two) - /tsvʌi/
• drü (three) - /dri/
• vier (four) - /fi:r/
• füf (five) - /fyf/
• sächs (six) - /sæks/
• sibe (seven) - /zi:bə/
• acht (eight) - /axt/
• nün (nine) - /ny:n/
• zähn (ten) - /tse:n/

You can also listen to the sound recordings of Swiss German numbers on Forvo.

Count to 10: Examples

Let's see how the numbers from 1 to 10 are used in some common phrases and sentences.

Example 1: Age

• Person 1: Wie alt bisch du? (/vee ahlt bish doo/ - How old are you?)
• Person 2: Ich bi füf jahr alt. (/eekh bee fyf yahr ahlt/ - I am five years old.)

Example 2: Time

• Person 1: Wie spät esch es? (/vee shpeht esh esh/ - What time is it?)
• Person 2: Es esch füf ab halbi. (/esh esh fyf ap halbee/ - It is half past four.)

Example 3: Counting in a store

• Salesperson: Möchted Sie drei Äpfel und vier Birne? (/mœchtet see dri ehp-el ün fi:r birnə/ - Would you like three apples and four pears?)
• Customer: Nei, ich nimm zwei Äpfel und fünf Birne. (/nei, eekh neem tsvey ehp-el ün fyn firnə/ - No, I'll take two apples and five pears.)

Now, let's practice counting to 10:

• eins, zwei, drü, vier, füf, sächs, sibe, acht, nün, zähn (one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten)

Congratulations! You have learned how to count to 10 in Swiss German! Practice makes perfect, so keep trying.

To improve your Swiss German Vocabulary, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Fun Facts

Did you know that Swiss German uses special words to represent multiples of 20? For example, in High German, you would say “Zwanzig,” which means twenty, followed by the number of units (ein, zwei, drei, etc.). In Swiss German, you would instead say "zwänzg" and then add the units (oif, zweif, düref, etc.).

Conclusion

In this lesson, you have learned how to count to 10 in Swiss German. We also covered some basic number vocabulary and included examples to illustrate the usage of the numbers. Swiss German numbers are relatively easy to learn, and with more practice, you'll be able to count seamlessly like a native Swiss.

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Swiss-German_language
• Schweizerdytsch:_Alltag,_Zahlen,_Grössen