Teaching myself german, need help.

Factual Questions
1

I’m in German 2, and have a project due tomorrow. I’m doing it on Kennedy’s “Ich Bin Ein Berliner” speech.

However, since I’m extremely impatient, I’ve decided to avoid the suggestion that I “stick with what I know” and am teaching myself Subjunctive from this page.

Also, I had to use an online dictionary for a few words, and I’m worried about maybe using the wrong verbbs. I’d like somebody to go over this and tell me what kind if mistakes I’ve made, please.

I wouldn’t do this on a normal assignment, but since there is such a large margin for error (considering that I’m teaching myself things 2 years in advance), I’m asking for help.

In June, 1963, Kennedy went on a goodwill tour of five european countries.

Im June 1963, Kennedy besichteget fünfe Europerstrassen für einen Gluückwunschtrip.

First, Kennedy went to Germany.

Erst gingt Kennedy nach Deutschland.

To the Germans, Kennedy said "Ich bin Ein Berliner."

Zu Deutschers, Kennedy sagte "“Ich bin Ein Berliner.”

That means, In English, “I am a Jelly Doughnut,” but also "I am one with the people of Berlin"

Das bedeutete auf English nicht nur “I am a Jelly Doughnut,” sondern auch "I am one with the people of berlin.

Finally, I’m a bit confused as to how I would compile this last sentence. I have the second part of the sentence put together, but I don’t know about the first. How would I say "If he had said ‘Ich bin ein berliner’, then he would have confused the Berliners with his accent. So far, all I’ve been able to formulate is:

He would have confused the Berliners with his accent.

Er hätte die Berliners mit ihnem Akzent verwirrt

And while yes, this is for a school project, I don’t think of it as someone else doing my work for me, since I think I have done the vast majority of it myself. I’m simply trying to do something beyond my self-teaching capabilities, and would like some help from someone better at German. Could somebody out there help me?

2

You should just play the clip from Eddie Izzard.

3

These are a few possible corrections. I tried to stay close to your translations. Especially the first sentence is not a literal translation of the Englisch one.

Im Juni 1963, besichtigte Kennedy fünf europäische Staaten (Länder?) für ***.
I’m sorry but I haven’t found a good equivalent of “goodwill tour” but Glückwunschtrip doesn’t fit well.

Erst ging …

Zu den Deutschen sagte Kennedy …

… auf Englisch …

One possibility for the last sentence is:

Hätte er gesagt “Ich bin ein Berliner”, würde er die Berliner mit seinem Akzent verwirrt haben.

Note that hardly any native speaker would use this form in spoken German.
The “Konjuntiv II” is used almost only in written form and usually you get away with many incorrect forms. :slight_smile:

4

I don’t quite understand your last sentence. He did say “Ich bin ein Berliner”, why the use of Konjunktiv?

And, contrary to the legend, “Ich bin ein Berliner” was not confusing at all. “Jelly doughnut” is only a secondary meaning of “Berliner”. In the context, every body knew what he meant. A German would have said it the same way. There are jokes in Germany about Kennedy being a doughnut, but those came later.

5

Of course my translation of the last sentense (“Hätte er gesagt…”) is only valid if you assume he did not say “Ich bin ein Berliner”.
As mkl12 pointed out he did say it.
You could use something like

Als Kennedy sagte “Ich bin ein Berliner”, verwirrte er die Berliner mit seinem Akzent.

However this was really not very confusing for the German audience.
The term “Berliner” for that doughnut-like thing (no hole in the middle) is not even used in in many regions in Germany.

6

Thanks a lot, guys.

About Glückwunschtrip: I kind of just…made up that word. I couldn’t think of any suitable replacement. If anyone else can, that would be great.

The following were simply careless typos. Whoops:
June = Juni
fünfe = fünf
English = Englisch

About the last sentence: D’OH. I meant to write "If he had said “Ich bin Berliner,” He would have confused them with his accent. I can’t believe I didn’t catch that in preview.

And about the Jelly Doughnut thing: Yeah, I’ve researched it a bit. I’m still working on my translations for explaining the Jelly Doughnut myth, though.

7

And I know that the Germans don’t use Subjunctive 2 in speech, but this is going on a poster, so I think I’ll be fine.

8

To the Germans, Kennedy said “Ich bin Ein Berliner.”

Zu Deutschers, Kennedy sagte "“Ich bin Ein Berliner.”

Zu den Deutschen sagte Kennedy …
For this, wouldn’t one say: “Kennedy sagte den Deutschen ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’”?