Grüezi Miteinander

G R Ü E Z I 

pronounced:  grü-e-tsi

English translation: 'hello' or 'I greet you'

"Grüezi"

I heard this from people who sat next to me on the trams, from individuals I'd meet walking down the street, and even from store clerks. 

"What is Grüezi?" I'd say to myself, and just smile and tip my head a bit at the Swiss-German I had just crossed paths with. This was happening every day. I knew it was some sort of greeting, but other than that I was clueless. 

That was, until Saturday the 29th of November. 

Doug and I were invited to dinner in Meilen with our new Swiss friends, the Sprengers. We met Iris & Paul at the train station and then proceeded to take a walk along a view path between the bluffs over looking Lake Zurich and the open fields. Time and again we would pass people who said 'Gruezi' and Iris would respond 'Gruezi miteinander'. Finally, I had someone to explain this Swiss-German greeting! And so she did... she shared with me that this phrase is used to greet someone and you should return the greeting. I practiced my pronunciation.

Now I got it!  Finally I could stop looking foolish and be polite to the people I meet in Switzerland. 

To gain a clear grasp of this Swiss greeting and other similar phrases ... check out the posting on Swisstoryblog.com for Tuesday, September 9, 2008 titled Swiss Greetings 101. Jessica provides an excellent explanation as to what to say, to whom, when to say it ... and how to respond.

I looked online for a definition of grüezi and came across a photo on flickr.com of a Washington state vanity license plate that read: GRUETZI.

I began to hear it more and see it used in lots of Swiss advertising. It's now part of my vocabulary! 

The only challenge NOW is that I've mastered it so well, that store clerks now continue their conversation with me in Swiss-German. Which again leaves me with more blank stares and slight nods. :) 
P.S. Yes, I know I've used two different spellings for the word Grüezi. Just as in English, it seems to be spelled different ways by different people. :)