FAQ
Common questions,
honest answers.
If something is missing here, write to hello@bernaly.ch · we usually reply within a working day.
Getting started
What is Bernaly?
A marketplace for the languages Switzerland actually speaks: the Swiss German dialects, Swiss French, Swiss Italian and Romansh, taught one to one over video by people who grew up with them. You pick your own tutor, and most offer a free 15-minute trial so you can see whether it fits before you commit.
Do I need to know any German, French or Italian already?
No. Many of our learners start from zero. When you book you can leave a short note telling the tutor your level and what you want to work on. They build the lesson around it.
How is Bernaly different from an app or a language school?
Apps teach textbook Hochdeutsch. Useful, and still not what you hear at a Zürich lunch table or a Bern bus stop. Bernaly is about the spoken, regional reality of this country, with a person who lives in it. Language schools cover similar ground, cost more and run on a fixed timetable. Here you book by the lesson.
Lessons and the free trial
Is the free 15-minute trial really free?
Yes. Every tutor who offers trials gives one free 15-minute lesson per learner. It is a chance to meet, see how it feels and decide whether you want a longer paid lesson. One trial per tutor; after that you book 30, 60 or 90 minutes.
How long are paid lessons?
30, 60 or 90 minutes. The tutor sets their hourly rate and you see the total before you confirm.
Where does the lesson happen?
In your browser. Bernaly creates a video room for every confirmed booking, nothing to install. Some tutors use their own Zoom, Meet or Teams link, and then we send you there. Either way the link is in your confirmation email and on your account page.
When can I join the lesson?
The join button opens 10 minutes before the start and stays open until 30 minutes after the end, so a small delay on either side is no problem.
Booking, cancelling, paying
How do I book?
Pick a tutor on the marketplace, open their profile and choose a day, a time and a length. Your request goes to the tutor. They accept or decline, and you get an email either way.
How does payment work?
You pay by card when you book. We reserve the amount and charge it only once your tutor accepts. If they decline or do not reply, the reservation falls away and nothing leaves your account. Bernaly keeps a 10% commission and the rest goes to your tutor. Free trials stay free. Prices include 8.1% Swiss VAT where it applies.
What if I need to cancel?
Cancel any time on your account page. The rule:
More than 24 hours before the lesson: free for both sides.
Inside 24 hours: if you cancel, the full lesson price is charged, because the slot was yours and your tutor kept it free. If your tutor cancels, you get everything back and it is recorded against them. A free trial is always free to cancel. The other side gets a polite email either way.
More than 24 hours before the lesson: free for both sides.
Inside 24 hours: if you cancel, the full lesson price is charged, because the slot was yours and your tutor kept it free. If your tutor cancels, you get everything back and it is recorded against them. A free trial is always free to cancel. The other side gets a polite email either way.
Tutors
How are tutors verified?
Every application is read by hand. We check that the dialect someone teaches is really their own and that they have taught before. It usually takes 2 to 3 working days.
I would like to teach on Bernaly. How do I apply?
Go to the application form and fill it in. You set your rate, your days and how you teach. We write to you by email once your application has been read.
Can I use my own Zoom, Meet or Teams?
Yes. Tutors paste their own video link in the dashboard. From then on every confirmed booking uses that link instead of the Bernaly room.
About the languages
Which dialects and languages do you cover?
On the Swiss German side: Züritüütsch (Zürich and around), Bärndütsch (Bern), St.Gallerdütsch (St. Gallen and Eastern Switzerland). Of the other national languages: Swiss French (Suisse romande), Swiss Italian (Ticino) and Romansh (Graubünden). We are looking for more tutors in all six.
What is Romansh?
One of Switzerland's four national languages, spoken by fewer than 60,000 people, mostly in Graubünden. It comes from the Latin the Roman soldiers brought into the Alps and stands closer to Friulian or Ladin than to French or Italian. On Bernaly it counts as a language like any other, not as a curiosity.
Is Swiss German one language?
No, it is a family of dialects that changes from village to village. Most learners pick the dialect of the place they live in, and every tutor profile says which one. If you are unsure, take a free trial with two tutors and see which one feels right.
Do you have a dialect translator?
Yes, try it here. Free, no account needed. Type a German word or sentence and you see it in Züritüütsch, Bärndütsch and St.Gallerdütsch side by side. If something is missing you can suggest a rule from the widget.
Account and privacy
How do I sign in?
With a magic link. Enter your email on the login page and click the link we send. No password to remember. Signing in with Google works too.
What do you do with my data?
We store what a lesson needs: your name, your email, your bookings and the reviews you write. The long version is in our privacy policy.