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Der Mann am Gemüsestand berlinert: „Ick hab heute frische Jurken!“ The man at the vegetable stall speaks Berlin dialect: "Ick hab heute frische Jurken!" (I have fresh cucumbers today!)

verb · B2

berlinern

[bɛʁˈliːnɐn]

to speak Berlin dialect

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Other Examples

  • Nach drei Jahren in Berlin berlinere ich schon ein bisschen.

    After three years in Berlin, I already speak a bit of Berlin dialect.

  • Wenn du aufgeregt bist, berlinerst du immer mehr.

    When you get excited, you slip more and more into Berlin dialect.

  • Beim Fußball im Park berlinern wir alle, sogar Otti.

    When we play football in the park, we all talk Berlin dialect, even Otti.

  • Berlinert ihr auch, wenn ihr mit euren Eltern telefoniert?

    Do you speak Berlin dialect too when you're on the phone with your parents?

  • Frida und Emil berlinern absichtlich, um Otti zum Lachen zu bringen.

    Frida and Emil talk in Berlin dialect on purpose to make Otti laugh.

Grammar

Present
er/sie/es berlinert What happens now or usually.
Simple past (Präteritum)
er/sie/es berlinerte The past in stories and in writing; in speech mostly with sein, haben and the modal verbs.
Perfect (Perfekt)
er/sie/es hat berlinert The past in conversation. Verbs of movement or change take "ist", most others "hat".

Conjugation

The verb in every person; under each table, when German uses it.

Indikativ
Person Präsens Präteritum Perfekt
ich berlinereberlinertehabe berlinert
du berlinerstberlinertesthast berlinert
er/sie/es berlinertberlinertehat berlinert
wir berlinernberlinertenhaben berlinert
ihr berlinertberlinertethabt berlinert
sie/Sie berlinernberlinertenhaben berlinert
Präsens
What happens now or usually; with a time word also the future.
Präteritum
The past in stories and in writing; in speech mostly with sein, haben and the modal verbs.
Perfekt
The past in conversation.
More Tenses and Moods
Indikativ
Person Plusquamperfekt Futur I Futur II
ich hatte berlinertwerde berlinernwerde berlinert haben
du hattest berlinertwirst berlinernwirst berlinert haben
er/sie/es hatte berlinertwird berlinernwird berlinert haben
wir hatten berlinertwerden berlinernwerden berlinert haben
ihr hattet berlinertwerdet berlinernwerdet berlinert haben
sie/Sie hatten berlinertwerden berlinernwerden berlinert haben
Plusquamperfekt
What had happened before another moment in the past.
Futur I
Plans, promises and guesses about the future; often the Präsens is enough.
Futur II
What will be finished by a moment in the future, or a guess about the past.
Person Konjunktiv II
ich berlinerte
du berlinertest
er/sie/es berlinerte
wir berlinerten
ihr berlinertet
sie/Sie berlinerten
Konjunktiv II
Wishes, polite requests and what isn't real.

The same as the Präteritum, so German mostly says "würde" + infinitive instead: ich würde berlinern.

Person Imperativ
du berlinere!
ihr berlinert!
Sie berlinern Sie!
Imperativ
Requests and instructions to du, ihr and Sie.

How the Word Is Built

berlin root er suffix n ending

-er
a person or a tool that does something, masculine: mieten → der Vermieter (landlord).
-n
the ending of the infinitive after -el or -er: wandern, sammeln.

Word family

Berlinder Berlinerdie Berlinerinberlinerisch

In Otti's situations: Otti and the dialects

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