Ueli's Words: Swiss words, explained
Every word card from the films. Your phone translates them literally. Ueli does not.
Ueli's Words. Swiss words, explained. Red word cards for Waschküche, Znüni, Gspänli, Ruhezeit and Hörnli, with Ueli checking his watch.
Waschküche
literally: “washing kitchen”
really: the shared laundry room, usually in the basement
Tip: Keep to your day on the Waschplan. Most buildings: no washing on Sundays; usually Monday to Saturday, 7:00 to 21:00.
Ruhezeit
literally: “rest time”
really: quiet hours; in Zurich, 22:00 to 07:00
Tip: No drilling, no loud music. Flushing and a short shower are fine.
Rappenspalter
literally: “Rappen splitter”
really: a penny pincher
Tip: A Rappen is a hundredth of a franc. Swiss prices are more than half above the EU average (BFS, 2024).
Gspänli
literally: “little companion”
really: a buddy; a child's school or play friend
Tip: A guinea pig must have one: Swiss law says it may not be kept alone.
4. Is it illegal to own one guinea pig in Switzerland?, 11. Beni's Gspänli has died
Schutzraum
literally: “protection room”
really: the shelter, often in your basement
Tip: About 370,000 in Switzerland. Fine as a storeroom, but ready within five days.
Hörnli
literally: “little horns”
really: the pasta with the hole (elbow macaroni)
Tip: Ghackets mit Hörnli, minced meat with Hörnli, is a Swiss classic.
Volksinitiative
literally: “people's initiative”
really: 100,000 signatures in 18 months to demand a change to the constitution
Tip: Then the whole country votes. There are three or four federal voting days a year.
Verein
literally: “a union”
really: a club
Tip: The classic way into Swiss friendships. Join one and keep showing up.
Pünktlich
literally: “on the dot”
really: on time; for Ueli, five minutes early
Tip: For SBB, under three minutes late is on time. In 2025, 94.1 percent of trains were.
Gemeinde
literally: “community”
really: your commune: where you register
Tip: Register within 14 days of moving, in general. It knows where you live.
Znüni
literally: “what you eat at nine”
really: the mid-morning snack
Tip: If your colleagues stop at nine, join them.
Zmorge
literally: “the morning”
really: breakfast
Tip: Ueli has his at 06:48.
Zmittag
literally: “the midday”
really: lunch, usually at twelve
Tip: In the film, the canteen fills at 11:59.
Zvieri
literally: “the four”
really: the afternoon snack
Tip: A small snack around 16:00, not a meal.
Znacht
literally: “the night”
really: dinner, usually around half past six
Tip: Invited “zum Znacht”? That is dinner. Ueli sits down at 18:37.
Hornkuh
literally: “horn cow”
really: a cow that keeps her horns
Tip: Switzerland voted on it on 25 November 2018. Rejected, 54.7 percent no.
Bundesrat
literally: “federal council”
really: the seven who run the country together
Tip: Parliament elects them for four years, and each December one of them as president for one year.