A2 Topics Post, Bank und Versicherungen

Swiss Insurance in German: Hausrat, Haftpflicht and Reporting a Claim

Which Swiss insurances are compulsory, what a Franchise actually is, and the German for reporting the damage when your washing machine floods the flat.

F

Switzerland runs on insurance. There is a policy for almost everything, several of them are effectively compulsory, and the vocabulary is nobody's favourite.

But this topic hides one of the best language lessons in the whole book. In the first dialogue below, the customer doesn't understand the difference between two products — so he asks. Four words, and the expert explains it for him. That single move is worth more in the exam than any amount of memorised vocabulary.

Key phrases to know

  • Ich brauche eine Hausratversicherung. – I need household contents insurance.
  • Wie gross ist Ihre Wohnung? – How big is your apartment?
  • Was ist der Unterschied? – What's the difference?
  • Welche Versicherungen sind obligatorisch? – Which insurances are compulsory?
Filed under A2 Topics Post, Bank und Versicherungen
Keep reading

More from .

Essay
Sep 4 3 min read
Applying for a Job: The Phone Call and the Online Form
Phoning about an advertised job, asking for the deadline and where to send your file — plus what to say when the online form won't accept your documents.
Read the essay →
Essay
Sep 4 3 min read
Registering at the RAV: German for the Swiss Job Centre
Registering as unemployed, the two registrations nobody tells you about, when the money arrives — and the advisor meeting where you ask what to improve.
Read the essay →
Essay
Sep 4 3 min read
At the Strassenverkehrsamt: Your Licence and Your Car
Converting a foreign driving licence before the twelve-month deadline, and registering a car — including what a personalised number plate really costs.
Read the essay →