German · Food & Drink

"Pear" in German: Birne

die Birne

Say it: BEER-nuhfeminine · die Birnenoun/ˈbɪʁnə/

Pear in German is die Birne. Say Die Birne ist weich und süß. Plural is die Birnen. Casual slang also uses Birne for head or light bulb—context decides.

Breakfast

Ich schneide eine Birne in den Joghurt.
I'm cutting a pear into the yogurt.
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How to pronounce Birne

Say it

BEER-nuh

/ˈbɪʁnə/

BEER-nuh. Soft ie as ee. Soft final -e.

"Pear" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
die Birnethe pear

Main fruit noun.

die Birnenthe pears

Plural.

eine reife Birnea ripe pear

Shopping.

Birnenkompottpear compote

Dessert.

How to use Birne in real life

  1. 1Breakfast

    Ich schneide eine Birne in den Joghurt.

    I'm cutting a pear into the yogurt.

    Eine Birne.

  2. 2Market

    Sind die Birnen schon weich genug?

    Are the pears soft enough already?

    Die Birnen plural.

  3. 3Snack

    Die Birne in meiner Tasche ist zerdrückt.

    The pear in my bag is squashed.

    Die Birne.

Mistakes English speakers make with Birne

Incorrect: der Birne

Correct: die Birne

Birne is feminine: die Birne.

Incorrect: das Pear

Correct: die Birne

Use Birne, not English pear.

Good to know

Fruit Birnen are autumn market favorites. The same word can mean light bulb (Glühbirne) or jokingly head—stick to fruit context while learning.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Making a fruit plate

  1. ChatPal

    Brauchst du noch eine Birne?

    Do you still need a pear?

  2. You

    Ja. Die gelbe Birne sieht gut aus.

    Yes. The yellow pear looks good.

  3. ChatPal

    Okay. Ich wasche die Birne kurz ab.

    Okay. I'll rinse the pear quickly.

  4. You

    Danke. Mit der Birne ist der Teller bunter.

    Thanks. With the pear the plate is more colorful.

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"Pear" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Pear" in German

How do you say pear?

Die Birne.

Gender?

Feminine: die Birne.

Plural?

Die Birnen.

Other meanings?

Also light bulb / slang head—context matters.

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  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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