Languages
Graubünden is the only trilingual canton in Switzerland. German, Romansh, and Italian are the official languages. Two thirds of the approximately 188,000 people living in Graubünden speak German as their main language, followed by Romansh (15 percent), and Italian (10 percent). Learn more about the different language regions.
The Institut dal Dicziunari Rumantsch Grischun is one of the member institutions of Academia Raetica. It is an important research and documentation center for the Romansh language and the Alpine culture. The Institut dal DRG edits the national Romansh dictionary.
As in the other German-speaking parts of Switzerland, the German-speaking locals also write everything in German, but in conversation, they generally speak Swiss German. Swiss German includes various Alemannic dialects, which are clearly different from German. At the workplace, you may encounter either Swiss German, German, Italian, or English. (We recommend a German language course for social and linguistic integration, if you want to stay longer in Graubünden.)
Copyright: Daniela Heinen
