RE from Ty: Kennedy's "ich bin ein Berliner"

[TyBrainstorm@xxxxxxxxxxx (Tydecks)]

Hutson wrote:


> To be more exact, and I hope I am not duplicating other responses, what
> Kennedy should have said was "Ich bin Berliner"  the article is unnecessary
> and corrupts the meaning of what should be heard as "I am a Berlin man." or
> "I am of Berlin".  At least according to my high school German instructor.

Kennedy said exactly "ich bin ein Berliner" - with the article "ein".

The meaning without the article is clear: I am a Berlin man -
with the article I could be a Berlin man or a doughnut.

But Kennedy's words were correctly.
"ich bin Berliner" means, that I live and work in Berlin -
and that was not true.
"ich bin ein Berliner" means, that I am one of you all,
a Berlin man with my sense and my heart, whether or not
I am living in this town.
(and nobody would think that a man could be a doughnut).


Ciao. Ty.
Jochen Tydecks. Germany.
http://www.tybrainstorm.de

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