Are Zurich residents good English speakers?

[sasha2]

Hi guys! I'm considering spending some time in Switzerland this spring or summer, but I'm unsure what the level of English is like among residents... Can you generally get by and meet people without knowing German?

Thanks!

Sasha

[Nadine_Kupferschmid]

English is quite good in Zurich. I never heard that someone couldn't get through with English. We all have to learn English in school and normally we Swiss people like to try our English.
Have fun in Zürich!

[Lorena_Mancino]

Hey Sasha

Most Swiss people are quite good at speaking English, so don't worry about not finding your way through the streets here. We're certainly not native speakers, but always happy to help tourists in need and will do our very best.

[Lewis_Nyman]

Hi!

I lived in Zurich for a year and a half without knowing much German/Swiss-German. It's very possible to live there without knowing German. Zurich is a big city with a lot of business and foreign workers so you'll have no issue in the city.

The further you go outside the center, it gets difficult very quickly. A lot of older residents who didn't move to Zurich for business reasons and didn't have English as part of their education aren't very confident with their english.

If you want to venture outside Zurich, you'll want to be able to get by with German/Swiss German. If you want to hang around the city with other 20–30 year olds, you'll be fine. Zurich is amazing in the summer, the river and the Flussbads are my favourite places.