Birne
/ˈbɪrnə/feminine
The German word for pear is Birne.
Birne primarily refers to the fruit. However, you may encounter it in different contexts: in colloquial German, it is often used to mean a light bulb and in certain slang contexts, it can refer to a person's head.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular noun is Birne, and the plural form is die Birnen.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbɪrnə/
When do people say it?
Specific pear varieties are well-known in German, such as the Kaiser-Alexander-Birne, Conference-Birne and Köstliche aus Charneux.
Did you know?
- The word Birne is an etymological oddity that was reformed on the basis of its plural form three separate times between its Latin origin and the modern version.
- While Birne is the standard term, you might see the word Birne used in an idiom to describe someone who is 'dim-witted' when paired with 'light bulb' slang.
- Germanic languages often use words for vegetables or fruits to describe the head, a pattern also seen in Russian where 'turnip' is used similarly.
Examples in context
- Tom aß eine Birne.Tom ate a pear.This sentence shows how to use Birne in the past tense.Tatoeba #10117710 by wolfgangth, translation #9150574 by CK
- Ich esse eine Birne.I'm eating a pear.This sentence shows the use of Birne in the present tense.Tatoeba #2135084 by Vortarulo, translation #2229499 by jgauthier
- Sie isst eine Birne.She's eating a pear.This sentence shows the use of Birne with a third-person singular subject.Tatoeba #2588311 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2587317 by Hybrid
- Bitte bringen Sie mir eine Birne.Please bring me a pear.
- Kannst du mir bitte eine Birne geben?Can you please give me a pear?
- Die Birnen sind lecker.The pears are delicious.
- Ich esse gerne eine Birne zum Frühstück.I like to eat a pear for breakfast.
- Meine Mutter kauft immer Birnen auf dem Markt.My mother always buys pears at the market.
- Die süßen Birnen kommen aus der Region.The sweet pears come from the region.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are in the kitchen looking at fruit.
- JuliaIst das eine Birne?Is that a pear?
- LukasJa, eine sehr süße Birne.Yes, a very sweet pear.
- JuliaMöchtest du die Birne essen?Do you want to eat the pear?
- LukasNein, danke, ich nehme einen Apfel.No, thanks, I'll take an apple.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pear” translations and entries Birne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Birne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
