“Tor!” – The top German and French phrases the 137,000 football fans going to Switzerland for the Women’s Euros need to know - Where to Watch

As football fans gear up for the women’s Euros in Switzerland, language experts at Rosetta Stone share the top phrases you need to know in their national languages of German and French.

Women’s football has grown in popularity over the years. The 2022 Women’s European Championships was one of the most-watched women’s football tournaments, which saw England’s Lionesses bring home the trophy. This year, UEFA is looking to beat the record set in 2022, and fans are gearing up to support their teams.

In the UK, Google searches for ‘Women’s Euros’ are up 76% over the past year as fans search for details of the games. About 137,000 people are expected to travel for the tournament from all parts of Europe. Coincidentally, the question: ‘What language do they speak in Switzerland?’ is up 212% in the past year and 78% in the past month in the UK.

The European country has regions that speak German, French, Italian and Romansh, so it can be a difficult place for tourists to navigate. Language experts at Rosetta Stone have put together the top phrases for football fans travelling to Switzerland to support the Lionesses and make their trip easier.

The city of Basel has the largest stadium in Switzerland, St. Jakob-Park, with a capacity of 35,689, and will also be the location of the final game of the tournament. This will be the best place for English fans hoping to see the Lionesses crowned the winners of the 2025 tournament. The first two England games are being held in Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, another popular Swiss city. In both Basel and Zurich, German is the most commonly spoken language, with the following phrases key to ensuring you don’t miss a thing.

Women's EURO 2025: Meet the finalists | UEFA Women's EURO | UEFA.com

Rosetta Stone has shared the top phrases for football fans to learn in German:

Sprechen Sie Englisch? – Do you speak English?
Wo ist das Stadion? – Where is the stadium?
Wie komme ich zum Bahnhof? – How do I get to the train station?
Ich brauche Hilfe – I need help
Wo ist die Toilette? – Where is the bathroom?
Wie viel kostet das? – How much does it cost?
Tor! – Goal!
Abseits! – Offside!
Schiedsrichter! – Referee!
Danke! – Thank you
Das war ein Foul! – That was a foul!
Entschuldigung. – Excuse me / Sorry.

Katja Walthers, a German tutor at Rosetta Stone said: “These phrases should help you get around cities like Basel and Zurich in Switzerland. Knowing simple things like ‘I need help’ and ‘Do you speak English?’ can be the difference between missing a train and making it to the match. If you’re going to watch the Euros with your mates, knowing the words for ‘offside’ and ‘red card’ can be a good way to impress them and show off your language skills.

“German has some similar words to English, but the pronunciation can throw some people off. ‘W’ can sometimes be pronounced as ‘V’, for example, ‘Wo ist das Stadion?’ is pronounced like ‘Voh ist das Stadion’. Some words with ‘S’ can be pronounced as ‘Z’, for example, offside is written as ‘Abseits’ but it’s pronounced as AHP-zites.”

Die-hard football fans might pay a visit to Geneva to watch the games of other countries, like Portugal vs Italy. The city is in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, so fans will have to tune their ears to the romantic language.

Rosetta Stone has shared the top phrases for football fans to know in French:

Parlez-vous anglais? – Do you speak English?
Où est le stade, s’il vous plaît? – Where is the stadium, please?
Quel est le score? – What is the score?
Qui a marqué? – Who scored?
But! = Goal!
Hors-jeu! = Offside!
Faute! = Foul!
Match nul! = Draw!
Allez + nom de l’équipe ! – Go + name of the team!
Qui va gagner? = Who is going to win?

Jennifer, French Senior tutor at Rosetta Stone, said: “Many of the French words, especially the football-related words, don’t look or sound similar to English. If you plan on going to Geneva or watching the match from a Swiss pub, you’ll have lots of different languages around you, including French, so knowing these phrases can make it a more enjoyable watch, and you might make some Swiss friends along the way.”

Most of the Women’s Euros games are being held in cities that speak German and/or French and these languages are some of the most popular for people to learn in general. Rosetta Stone has already reported a 54% increase in German learners and a 43% increase in French learners from March to April 2025 in the run-up to the Euros.

To learn more German, French or Italian, visit the Rosetta Stone website.