ich bin kein Deutscher
The English phrase "I am not german" is translated into German as ich bin kein Deutscher.
This phrase is used to deny that one is a citizen or national of Germany.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the phrase changes based on the gender of the speaker. The default form ich bin kein Deutscher is used by male speakers. If the speaker is female, the phrase changes to ich bin keine Deutsche.
Did you know?
- Because Deutscher is a noun, German speakers must use the negative article kein rather than the adverb nicht to deny their nationality.
- The word bin shares an ancestor with the English word 'become', as both stem from the Proto-Indo-European root 'bʰew-' meaning 'to be' or 'to become'.
- In German, identifying as Deutscher involves a process called nominalization, where an adjective describing a language or nationality is turned into a noun.
Examples in context
- Bist du Deutscher?Are you German?
- Nein, ich bin kein Deutscher.No, I am not German.
- Woher kommst du?Where are you from?
- Nein, ich bin kein Deutscher, sondern Österreicher.No, I am not German, but Austrian.
- Er denkt, ich bin ein Deutscher, aber ich bin kein Deutscher.He thinks I am a German, but I am not German.
Example conversation
Maximilian and Laura are talking about their backgrounds at a party.
- MaximilianKommst du aus Berlin, Maximilian?Do you come from Berlin, Maximilian?
- LauraNein, ich bin kein Deutscher.No, I am not German.
- MaximilianWirklich? Woher kommst du dann?Really? Where do you come from then?
- LauraIch komme aus der Schweiz.I come from Switzerland.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Deutscher, bin, ich, kein, CC BY-SA 4.0.
