Guten Abend! (Good Evening). I am the new blogger for the German blog. My name is Yohann. If you haven’t guessed already, I’m a dude. Lol, not that’s it’s necessary for you to know that, but just in case you were wondering whether I’m a Frau (Mrs.) or Fräulein (Miss), I am a Herr (Mr.).
Gender aside, I went to Dunkin Donuts to get a couple of jelly doughnuts. Eating those doughnuts made me feel nostalgic for the Berliners I had back in Germany. In places like Berlin, it’s called Pfannkuchen. (Yeah, it’s a mouthful, but the p and f are pronounced together) In Austria it’s known Krapfen.
I don’t have anything against Dunkin Donuts, but the Berliners in Germany are really mouth watering. They take a syringe and fill the inside of the doughnut with jelly, sometimes chocolate and sometimes custard. Usually, the top is coated with a confectionary type sugar. It may not be the best choice for people on a diet, but really it’s the perfect treat.
The most famous mention of a jelly doughnut was President Kennedy’s notorious line, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” Translate that into plain English and it means, “I am a jelly doughnut.” What he should have said was, “Ich bin Berliner” which means “I am a Berliner.” Berliner being a person of Berlin, not a jelly doughnut. Ein is an indefinite article. By adding ein, Kennedy implied that he was an object.
Moral of the story, keep up with your German grammar! Or else, you’ll be quoted as saying one of the silliest lines ever spoken in German.
