| Quote: | |  | |
| It's true that no one understands Swiss German unless you are from Switzerland. Swiss German or 'Schwizerdeutsch' is a spoken dialect only and not a written language.
However, the Swiss do understand High German or Hochdeutsch, and they will respond accordingly, especially if they understand that you are a foreigner.
Strangely enough, the French and the Italian spoken in Switzerland are the same as the French and Italian from France and Italy, with only a few minor differences in vocabulary. | |
| | |
People from southern Germany, especially from Baden Würtenberg, normally understand Swiss German as it is relatively similar to their own dialect.
As far as Italian is concerned the Ticinesi speak their own dialect which is as different from "high" Italian as is Swiss German from high German.