Help from Germany please.

[The Flying Mouse]

:twisted: During a speech in Berlin in 1963, JFK said"Ich bin ein Berliner".
Meaning - "I am a person from Berlin"

I've heard that JFK's German grammar was not all it should be, and that in fact, far from saying he was a native of Berlin, he announced to the world "I am a jelly donut".


Could some of our German pals shed some light on the correct literal meaning of the sentence






http://media.mlxxfc.net/jfk-ich-bin-ein-berliner.jpg

Ein Berliner?


http://media.mlxxfc.net/Berliner-Pfannkuchen.jpg

JFK?


Please god let this be true :pray:

[R.]

To quote Wikipedia:

In fact, Kennedy's statement is both grammatically correct[4] and perfectly idiomatic, and cannot be misunderstood in context. The urban legend is not widely known within Germany, where Kennedy's speech is considered a landmark in the country's postwar history.

The citizens of Berlin do refer to themselves as Berliner; what they do not refer to as Berliner are jelly doughnuts. While these are known as "Berliner" in other areas of Germany, they are simply called Pfannkuchen (pancakes) in and around Berlin.[10] Thus the merely theoretical ambiguity went unnoticed by Kennedy's audience, as it did in Germany at large. In sum, "Ich bin ein Berliner" was the appropriate way to express in German what Kennedy meant to say.

You can read the whole article on JFK here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ich_bin_ein_Berliner (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOU8GIRUd_g)

I'm hungry now. :bleh:

[The Flying Mouse]

:twisted: Hang on, so for people in Berlin, it's cool what he said, but outside Berlin he's a donut?

*hanging onto hope*

[R.]

:twisted: Reality can be so damn boring :doh:
Did you actually read the whole Wikipedia article?

[The Flying Mouse]

:twisted: I've edited my reply after a little thought on it :lol:

Thought i'd done it quick, but you were quicker.

See above :wink:

[The Flying Mouse]

Did you actually read the whole Wikipedia article?

:twisted: B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD :bicker:

[Asha]

:twisted: Hang on, so for people in Berlin, it's cool what he said, but outside Berlin he's a donut?

*hanging onto hope*

Kinda, yes

To not be ambiqious he should have said "Ich bin Berliner"

[R.]

:twisted: B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD B^$TARD :bicker:

:lawl:

[Sarahdk23]

Very interesting LOL

[RadioMaster]

Help from Germany please

God, weve been waiting to hear that sentence from you guys for AGES. :))

[Monstro]

God, weve been waiting to hear that sentence from you guys for AGES. :))

Liverpool will take anything off anyone lol

[mszee]

I can't believe this debate is still on...geez...it's as old as dirt in Berlin...

[Skeleton]

Kennedy's error is widely known here in Finland.. :cool:

[mszee]

:roll: