Welcome to Switzerland

Switzerland, in the heart of Europe, is famous for its beautiful mountains and lakes, delicious cheese and chocolate. It's a rich and well-organized country, known for being neutral and having four official languages. As an exchange student you will have a unique chance to discover so much more about our country!


Swiss mentality

Politeness is very important to us. Therefore, we use many phrases, such as “pardon”, “thank you”, “you’re welcome” automatically and frequently. We even greet unknown people, especially on the countryside.

We are also very punctual people. When you agree to meet someone at 4 pm, you will be expected to be at the meeting point at 4 pm sharp. Trains and trams are punctual 99% of the time, whenever a train will arrive later than scheduled, the people will be informed.

The Swiss are probably not the easiest people to get to know. We may seem rather cold and quiet and will not jump up to hug you when we meet you for the first time. However, when a person calls you their “friend”, this means a lot and usually is genuine.

Recycling and cleanliness: Most people separate their trash, as a lot of things can be recycled! You will probably also notice the cleanness of our roads and public buildings. Switzerland is one of the cleanest countries in the world.

No food waste: It is an important topic in many families in Switzerland. It´s a way, we care about our planet and try to make a difference in our everyday lives, for example we try not to throw away food.


Speaking about food...

We love our cheese and chocolate– that’s true! But we eat a lot of other things, too… Breakfast in Switzerland tends to be a cold meal such as cereals (Birchermüesli) or bread, butter and jam with coffee or tea. Meat is more and more often replaced by vegetarian meals. We try to eat seasonal and organic products.

Some traditional dishes are Fondue, Raclette, Älplermagronen (you should definitely ask your host family about this one!), Rösti or Polenta (especially in Ticino).

The Swiss don’t only like eating together, but they also love preparing food together as a family. Therefore we encourage you to assist your host family in the kitchen. On top of that you could show them some of your favorite meals from your country.

There are four official languages in Switzerland: German, French, Italian and Romansch.

While the official language in the German-speaking part of Switzerland is standard German (Hochdeutsch), in informal situations we use regional dialects, which are very different from standard German. At school and with your host family you will be able to communicate in the standard version, but be ready to learn some impressions in Swiss German. We prepared some examples for you.

Hoi zäme - Hallo zusammen (Hello together)

Grüezi - Guten Tag (Good day)

En Guete - Guten Appetit (Enjoy your meal)

Isch guet - Das ist gut (It’s good)

Zmorge - Frühstück (breakfast)

Zmörgele - frühstücken (to eat breakfast)

Velo - Fahrrad (bicycle)

Es bitzeli - ein Bisschen (a little bit)

Please mind our language requirements. You need at least an A2 level for German and B1 for the French speaking program. These requirements are due to the school expectations towards exchange students as well as the challenging mix of our national languages. A good preparation will guarantee a successful start of your experience in Switzerland.

There are are some differences between French used in France and in Switzerland but they are not as significant as in German. In Romandie (the French part of Switzerland) you already need to know French fairly well to be admitted in school, so polish your French and dive into this challenge!

There is no typical Swiss (host) family, as Swiss families come in all shapes and sizes. However, there are several traits and customs that are common:

Swiss families are usually quite small. Families with more than three children are rare. They may live in a small apartment in a city, a house in a little town or on a farm in the mountains... You may try a completely new lifestyle!

YFU host families include single-parent families, blended families, couples without children and couples whose children have already left home, as well as couples of the same sex (rainbow families).

Approximately 30% of the Swiss people have a multicultural background so it could be possible that your host parent(s) might originally come from another country.

Swiss families usually eat dinner together. It is the perfect time for you to communicate with your family, talk about challenges you might have encountered as well as plan family trips together.

In Switzerland, parents and children share the household responsibilities, so be ready to clean up the dishes, tidy up your room or even prepare some meals.

Teenagers in Switzerland are rather independent and busy. They usually have a number of hobbies and follow their own schedule during the week. Take the chance and discover new hobbies yourself too!