In which canton are French and German spoken?

The canton of Fribourg lies on the language border and has two official languages: French and German.

Common mistakes

C: Graubünden

In Graubünden, people speak German, Romansh and Italian, but not French.

B: Ticino

In Ticino, Italian is the official language.

A: St. Gallen

St. Gallen is a German-speaking canton.

Language regions and the Röstigraben

Each national language has its region. German-speaking Switzerland is in the north, the centre and the east. French-speaking Switzerland in the west is called Romandie or Welschland. In Ticino and in some southern valleys of Graubünden people speak Italian. Romansh is spoken only in parts of Graubünden.

Switzerland at a glance · The four national languages

Sources

• zh.ch
• stadt-zuerich.ch
• bfs.admin.ch

Official question of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.