Switzerland has four national languages. For any company wishing to do business successfully there, translation is a daily necessity.
A company wishing to expand and consolidate its presence in Switzerland, a country with an important economic and financial value and four national languages (German, French, Italian and Romansh), must rely on a translation service that provides very high quality standards. An in-depth knowledge of the language and culture of this region and the ability to identify the most reliable sources from which to draw official terminology are required.
interlanguage has built up considerable experience on the Swiss market and in translating for Switzerland, working for private companies and government authorities. We have in-depth knowledge of the country’s linguistic peculiarities and are able to tune our working tools to its need for confidentiality and quality from its translation services. Among our most prestigious customers the Swiss Railways (SBB CFF FFS), Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Federal Office of Transport (FOT).
News and curiosities about languages in Switzerland
It is essential to be aware that the Italian spoken and written in Switzerland is not exactly the same as the language spoken and written in Italy itself. In Swiss Italian, influenced by the close cohabitation with German and French, there are many expressions that may sound unusual for us Italians, while they are in common use in Switzerland.
Examples in speech:
| ITALY | SWITZERLAND |
| Variazione | Mutazione |
| Cellulare | Telefono mobile or Natel |
| CAP | NPA (Numero Postale di Avviamento) |
| Patente | Licenza di condurre |
| Mutuo | Ipoteca |
And if we look at specialised terminology, the differences are even more noticeable.
The following examples are taken from the fields of medicine and medical science:
| ITALY | SWITZERLAND |
| Medicinale | Medicamento |
| Mutuabile | Ammesso dalle casse o rimborsato dalle casse malati |
| Pompa protonica | Pompa a protoni |
| Sovradosaggio | Posologia eccessiva |
Or in law:
| ITALY | SWITZERLAND |
| Dichiarazione dei redditi | Dichiarazione d’imposta |
| Verbale | Protocollo |
| Società per Azioni, S.p.A. | Società Anonima, S.A. |
| Società a responsabilità limitata, Srl | Società a garanzia limitata, Sagl |
| Stipendio | Salario |
In Switzerland, all language production affecting public life (institutions, bodies, associations, laws, ordinances, provisions, etc.) requires a version in each of the official languages. Consequently, there are also implications for the private sector. Private companies may be enrolled with Business registers in more than one Canton, so they will have official company names in more than one language.
Examples of official denominations:
| GERMAN | FRENCH | ITALIAN |
| Geldwäschereigesetz (GwG) | Loi sur le blanchiment d’argent (LBA) | Legge sul riciclaggio di denaro (LRD) |
| Alters- und Hinterbliebenenversicherung (AHV) | Assurance-vieillesse et survivants (AVS) | Assicurazione vecchiaia e superstiti (AVS) |
| Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB) | Chemins de fer fédéraux suisses (CFF) | Ferrovie federali svizzere (FFS) |
| Schweizerische Bankpersonalverband (SBPV) | Association suisse des employés de banque (ASEB) | Associazione svizzera degli impiegati di banca (ASIB) |
| Schweiz. Spenglermeister- u. Installateur-Verband (SSIV) | Association suisse des maîtres ferblantiers et appareilleurs (ASMFA) | Associazione padronale svizzera lattonieri e installatori (APSLI) |
Although most Swiss have no difficulty in understanding at least another national language, when it comes to written documentation – catalogues, websites, technical manuals or contracts – a professional translation is a must. Finally, it is useful to remember that for historical and cultural reasons, linguistic minorities in Switzerland enjoy great respect and consideration. A well-made translation, therefore, which does not look like a carbon copy but a text written directly in the target language, is a form of attention to the reader, whatever the national language to which it belongs.
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