Greetings
Sali / Grüezi
SAH-li / GROO-et-si
Informal and formal hello. 'Sali' is the Basel default among people who know each other; 'Grüezi' is what you say to a stranger.
Daily life
Baseldytsch
BAH-sel-dytsh
The Basel dialect. Its giveaway is that it keeps a hard k where the rest of Switzerland says ch — Kind, not Chind. Locals hear the difference instantly.
Bebbi
BEB-bee
A native Basler. The official rubbish bag is the Bebbi-Sagg, and yes, you must buy the official one.
Dreiländereck
DRY-len-der-eck
The three-country corner where Switzerland, Germany and France meet, marked by a monument in the Rhine port.
U-Abo
OO-ah-bo
The season ticket for the whole Nordwestschweiz transport network — trams, buses and regional trains across three cantons.
Anmeldung beim Einwohneramt
AN-mel-doong
Registering your address, legally required within 14 days of arriving. Everything downstream hangs off the date on that receipt.
Fähri
FAY-ree
The Rhine ferries. Four of them, attached to an overhead cable and driven only by the current — no engine, no fuel, since the nineteenth century.
Work
Grenzgänger
GRENTS-geng-er
Cross-border commuter. Around 35,000 come into the canton daily, split almost evenly between Germany and France.
Culture
Wickelfisch
VIK-el-fish
The fish-shaped waterproof dry bag you put your clothes in to swim down the Rhine. Sold everywhere; a genuine local invention.
Morgestraich
MOR-ge-shtrykh
The 4 a.m. start of Fasnacht on the Monday after Ash Wednesday, when every light in the city goes out and the lanterns come on.
Emergency
144 / 117 / 118
Ambulance / police / fire
The Swiss emergency numbers; 112 also connects. Note that a German or French mobile near the border may route you to the wrong country's dispatcher.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.