Swiss Politeness in Public

Switzerland is a small country. There are only 41,000 square kilometers for 8.9 million people. Being polite is a collective, unspoken agreement and the foundation of our peaceful coexistence.

The Greeting is non-negotiable

A basic Swiss social rule is that not greeting people is considered rude. Always say "Grüezi" (or "Grüessech", "Hoi", "Bonjour" or "Buongiorno" depending on your region) when you walk into a waiting room, an elevator, or a shop.

In busy areas of the city or in public transport, you, of course, don't want to greet everyone individually. Swiss developed subtle ways to say hello without saying hello. On a train, we Swiss casually ask, "Is this seat free?" before we sit down next to or opposite a person. Although it's usually obvious the seat is definitely free, we still ask because it's polite. And it's a kind way of recognizing the other person without having to greet them or imply that you're looking for personal discussion.

The Swiss politeness decoder

This might be the most important section in this article. The Swiss being polite is a deeply ingrained cultural value: they want to avoid direct confrontation, preserve harmony, and allow both parties to save face. Once you learn to read between the lines, you'll realize Swiss people are actually very communicative (just on a different frequency than you might be used to).

"Du" vs. "Sie" matters more than you think

In German-speaking Switzerland, the difference between the formal Sie and the informal du is a bit of a social minefield. Use Sie with strangers, authority figures, and anyone you haven't explicitly been invited to address informally. This applies the same to French ("Vous" vs. "Tu") and Italian ("Lei" vs. "Tu").

The shift from Sie to du is a genuine social milestone. When a Swiss colleague or acquaintance offers you the du, it's a sign of trust and acceptance. Don't rush it. Don't assume it. And definitely don't be the first to use it with someone older or more senior than you. Once you make the switch, you just have to remember exactly who you are on "Sie" terms with still, and with whom you can use "du". And if you switch to "du" and later accidentally refer to them as "Sie", it can come across as strange. Keep a mental note attached to each person in your mind so you remember who to "du" and who to "Sie".

PRO tip: Lucky for foreigners, they can often can get a pass for making mistakes and using the wrong term. We are not encouraging you to do so on purpose, but do use this "free pass" to your advantage. Make a small joke out of your mistakes.