Text

Style rules

  • Texts should be kept as simple and concise as possible.
  • Texts should be written in an active and direct way.
  • The present tense should be used.
  • Terms in different scenarios should always be attributed the same meaning.

Further details on the style guide can be found in the rules on language and style.

Formatting

Numbers

  • Numbers one to twelve should be written out in full; 13, 14 etc. as figures, for example, “for the second time”, “15 years of age.”

Percentage figures

  • Figure always followed by ‘%’ (‘30% discount’)

Ages

  • Numbers not written out in full (‘15 years of age’)

Prices

  • Currency in front of price (‘from CHF 13.50’, ‘CHF 95.00’)

Date

  • The date is always written out in body copy, day without preceding zero (‘Friday, 2 December 2019’).
  • The short form is used in lists, tables and entry fields. In this case, a preceding zero is used for the day and month. The year always has four digits (‘Friday, 02.09 2019’).
  • The days of the week and months may be abbreviated in shortened text.

Abbreviations for days of the week

German Mo / Di / Mi / Do / Fr / Sa / So
French lu / ma / me / je / ve / sa / di
Italian lun. / mar. / mer. / gio. / ven. / sab. / dom.
English Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri / Sat / Sun

Month abbreviations

German Jan. / Febr. / März / Apr. / Mai / Juni / Juli / Aug. / Sept. / Okt. / Nov. / Dez.
French jan. / fév. / mars / avr. / mai / juin / juil. / août / sept. / oct. / nov. / déc.
Italian gen. / feb. / mar. / apr. / mag. / giu. / lug. / ago. / set. / ott. / nov. / dic.
English Jan. / Feb. / Mar. / Apr. / May / June / July / Aug. / Sept. / Oct. / Nov. / Dec.

File sizes

  • Files < 1 MB: indicated in KB (‘800 KB’)
  • Files > 1 MB: indicated in MB with a decimal point (‘1.2 MB’)

Telephone numbers

  • Telephone number standard: +41 xx xxx xx xx
  • Telephone number with availability: +41 xx xxx xx xx plus availability in brackets (e.g. 24/7)
  • Free service numbers: 0xxx xxx xx xx (free from Switzerland)
  • Paid-for service numbers: 0xxx xxx xx xx (costs in brackets on new line) (e.g. [CHF 1.19/min.)
  • Fax numbers: Fax numbers always appear with a designator (fax: in German variant). Telephone numbers in combination with fax numbers appear with a designator (tel.: in German variant).
    • Tel.: +41 xx xxx xx xx
    • Fax: +41 xx xxx xx xx
  • Special case: rail traffic information: Tel.: 166