On Wed, 05 May 2004 15:16:06 -0500, dave weil
wrote:

Robert Morein - - mercredi 5 Mai 2004
21:25 wrote:


"Hanz Vunderlicht" wrote in message
...

a Berliner?

Bob the correct sentence is :

"ich bin ein Berliner" ;-)

Correct in terms of quoting Kennedy, but incorrect in fact.

By my criterion "Ich bin ein Berliner" is formed correctly.

If you're saying that you're a pastry - sure.

We may say
"Ich bin Berliner" if Kennedy were a citizen of Berlin, but add "ein"
for figurative use.

When I learned German, I was told that this phrase was actually
incorrect the way he meant it. Germans that I knew confirmed this as
well. Maybe his misusage of this has become part of the language - I
dunno. Or maybe I was misinformed.

It is a general misunderstanding. All Germans do not agree, but the
majority would see in my explanation the natural direction.