Greetings
Bonjour / Salut
bon-ZHOOR / sa-LU
Bonjour to anyone you do not know, in every shop, lift and waiting room. Omitting it lands worse than it would in English.
Daily life
Huitante
wee-TONT
Eighty. Vaud, Fribourg and Valais say huitante where Geneva and France say quatre-vingts — a reliable way of telling a Vaudois from a Genevois.
Contrôle des habitants
kon-TROL day-za-bee-TON
Your commune's residents' office, where you register within 14 days. In Vaud this is the commune — unlike Geneva, which centralises it.
Taxe au sac
taks oh SAK
The pay-per-bag rubbish charge. In Vaud you must use the official taxed bag; anything else is left on the pavement with a note.
Le m2
luh em-DUH
Switzerland's only metro, and the steepest in the world. It climbs 338 metres from the lake to Épalinges and it is why nobody walks up the hill.
Le Flon
luh FLON
The former warehouse valley in the middle of the city, now its bars, cinemas and clubs. Built over a buried river.
Money
Subside
sub-SEED
The cantonal health-premium subsidy. Vaud designs it so premiums stay near a tenth of household income, and more than a third of the population receives it.
Housing
Régie / gérance
ray-ZHEE / zhay-RONSS
The managing agent. You rent from a régie, and your dossier goes to them, not to a landlord you will ever meet.
Culture
Le guet
luh GAY
The cathedral watchman who has called the hours from the belfry every night since 1405, between ten and two. Still a paid municipal job.
La Lavaux
la la-VOH
The terraced vineyards east of the city, on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and the standard Sunday walk.
Emergency
144 / 117 / 118
Ambulance / police / fire
The Swiss emergency numbers; 112 also connects. 1414 reaches Rega air rescue, which matters once you are in the mountains.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.