Ways to say it
| Swiss German | Note |
|---|---|
| Ich vermiss dich | |
| Ich vermiss Sie | formal |
Ich vermiss dich is said to a friend, partner or family member. The formal Ich vermiss Sie is rare in this sentence, since missing someone is almost always a personal, informal feeling.
What does it mean word for word?
vermiss is the Swiss German form of Standard German vermisse, dropping the final e the way most Swiss verbs do in the first person.
Which one should you use?
dich is the informal 'you', used in almost every real situation this phrase comes up in. Sie exists grammatically but sounds unusual here, since you would rarely tell someone you address formally that you miss them.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
This phrase is almost always informal in practice, even though the formal form is grammatically possible.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase and its pronunciation stay close to Standard German across Swiss German dialects, with only the typical dropped verb ending marking it as Swiss.
How does it change in a sentence?
Swapping dich for di is common in fast speech in some dialects, giving Ich vermiss di with the same meaning.
How do you pronounce it?
The initial v in vermiss is pronounced like an f, as in Standard German.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Learners sometimes keep the Standard German ending and say Ich vermisse dich, which is understood everywhere but sounds noticeably more formal or written than the Swiss Ich vermiss dich.
Did you know?
- Dropping the final e in vermiss, giving the Swiss form instead of Standard German vermisse, follows the same pattern as ich heiss and ich mach.
- Because missing someone is such a personal feeling, Swiss speakers almost never use the formal Sie with this verb in real conversation.
Examples in context
- Ich vermiss dich scho jetzt.I already miss you now.
- Ich vermiss dich, chumm bald wieder hei.I miss you, come home again soon.
- Mir vermisse dich alli.We all miss you.
Example conversation
Leonie writes a message to her boyfriend Dario, who is away on a trip.
- LeonieHoi Schatz, ich vermiss dich.Hi love, I miss you.
- DarioIch vermiss dich au, bin bald wieder da.I miss you too, I will be back soon.
- LeonieWie lang gaht's na?How much longer will it take?
- DarioNume na zwei Täg.Only two more days.
