Occupation 1 · 7073178c622e57beacf86d819288c17f
Ich bin ein Berliner!
President John F. Kennedy’s speech at the Berlin Wall always reminds people of his famous quote: Ich bin ein Berliner! Even though he meant I am a citizen of Berlin!, he really ended up saying I am a jelly doughnut! (But the Berliners knew what he meant ‑ phew!)
The mistake was with the word ein. When talking about your nationality or profession, don’t use ein before it!
Ich bin Amerikaner.I am (an) American.
Meine Frau ist Ärztin.My wife is (a) doctor.
Who’s the boss?
The basic form of many occupations in German refers to a man in the position, like der Chef. If your boss is a woman, however, you’ll refer to her as die Chefin!
Er ist Koch und sie ist Köchin.He is (a) cook and she is (a) cook.
Er ist Schüler. Sie ist Schülerin. My brother is (a) pupil. She is (a) pupil.
Der Mann ist Lehrer. Die Frau ist Lehrerin.The man is (a) teacher. The woman is (a) teacher.
Übung macht den Meister!
A saying worth knowing is Übung macht den Meister! which literally means Practice creates the master.
In Germany, many people work apprenticeships to learn a trade (for example, locksmithing or carpentry!) and eventually become a Meister.