Berlin slang / Berliner Schnauze
The capital's own dialect — blunt, fast and warm underneath.
Short answerIn Germany, say icke / ick — I — Berlin's own version of ich.
Die Berliner Schnauze klingt grob und ist es nicht.
Berliners sound brusque and mean nothing by it. The bluntness is the friendliness — take it at face value and answer in kind.
Berlinerisch — the words that give it away
- icke / ickBerlinI — Berlin's own version of ich.
- watBerlinWhat — wat and det replace was and das.
- detBerlinThat — Berlin's das.
- knorkeBerlinBrilliant — old Berlin, still said with a wink.
- dufteBerlinGreat — same vintage as knorke, same wink.
- Jibbet nich.BerlinNot happening — "gibt es nicht" in a Berlin mouth.
- Wa?BerlinEh? / right? — the tag stuck on the end of everything.
- Kiek ma!BerlinLook at that! — "guck mal" up here.
Späti, Kiez and what things are called here
- der SpätiBerlinThe late-night corner shop — a Berlin institution and your 2am friend.
- der KiezBerlinYour neighbourhood — Berliners identify with theirs more than with the city.
- eine SchrippeBerlinA bread roll — a Brötchen elsewhere, a Semmel in Bayern.
- ein PfannkuchenBerlinA jam doughnut. A pancake here is an Eierkuchen — order carefully.
- eine BuletteBerlinA meat patty — a Frikadelle in most of the country.
- eine StulleBerlinA sandwich — a buttered slice with something on top.
- ein WegbierBerlinA beer for the walk — legal in public and completely unremarkable.
- eine EckkneipeBerlinThe corner pub — cheap, old, open late, and nothing like a bar.