Bier

See also: bier

Alemannic German

Alternative forms

• Biär, Pier

Etymology

From Middle High German bier, from Old High German bior, from Proto-Germanic *beuzą (“beer”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰews-, *bheus- (“dross, sediment, brewer's yeast”). Cognate with German Bier, Dutch bier, English beer, Icelandic bjór. More at beer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biər/

Noun

Bier n (plural Bier)

1. beer

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Central Franconian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biə̯/
• Homophone: Bir (may be distinguished by tone)

Etymology 1

From Middle High German bier, from Old High German bior, from Proto-Germanic *beuzą.

Noun

Bier n or m (plural Bier)

1. (many dialects) beer (drink)

Usage notes

• Masculine in southern Moselle Franconian, otherwise neuter.

Alternative forms

• Beer (western Moselle Franconian)

Etymology 2

From Middle High German bēr, from Old High German bēr, from Proto-Germanic *bairaz.

Noun

Bier m (plural Biere)

1. (most dialects) a male uncastrated pig; a boar

   Buur, Bär un Bier sinn drei kodde Dier.

   Farmer, bear and boar are three evil animals. (Old Colognian proverb expressing city-dwellers’ snobbery)

See also

• Bärch, Barch (castrated)

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German

Etymology

From Middle High German bier, from Old High German bior, from Proto-Germanic *beuzą (“beer”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰews-, *bheus- (“dross, sediment, brewer's yeast”). Akin to Dutch bier, Low German Beer, bêr, English beer, Icelandic bjór. More at beer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biːɐ̯/
• Rhymes: -iːɐ̯

• audio

  (file)

Noun

Bier n (genitive Bieres, plural Biere or Bier, diminutive Bierchen n)

1. (beverage) beer (alcoholic drink fermented from starch material; a serving of this beverage)
2. (informal) business, beeswax (personal affairs)

Usage notes

• As is common with beverages in German, the unchanged plural Bier can be used after numerals in the sense of “quantities of beer” (glasses, bottles, cans). One may order: „Zwei Bier, bitte!“ – “Two beers, please!” (Nota bene: In many places of the German language area, this is not a common order; instead one needs to specify Pils, Weißbier, Kölsch, etc.)
• The marked plural Biere is used to mean different kinds of beer. For example: „Pils und Kölsch sind beliebte deutsche Biere.“ – “Pils and Kölsch are popular German beers.”

Declension

Declension of Bier

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Bier	die	Biere
genitive	eines	des	Bieres, Biers	der	Biere
dative	einem	dem	Bier, Biere1	den	Bieren
accusative	ein	das	Bier	die	Biere

¹Now uncommon, see notes

Derived terms

• Altbier
• Bierabend
• bierartig
• Bierausschank
• Bierbaß
• Bierbecher
• Bierbrauer
• Bierdeckel
• Biergarten
• Bierglas
• Bierhefe
• Bierjunge
• Bierkeller
• Bierleiche
• Bierschaum
• Bierschorle
• Biersuppe
• Biertheke
• Bierwürze
• Dunkelbier
• Fassbier
• Flaschenbier
• Hellbier
• Malzbier
• Rauchbier
• Roggenbier
• Schwarzbier
• Weißbier
• Weizenbier

 

Descendants

• → Italian: birra (see there for further descendants)
• → Romanian: bere
• → Swedish: bir

Further reading

• Bier in Duden online
• “Bier” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Bier” in PONS (pons.com)

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Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biːʀ/, [ˈbiː.ɐ], [biə̯]
• Rhymes: -iːə

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *berô. Compare German Bär, English bear, Dutch beer.

Noun

Bier m (plural Bieren)

1. bear

Derived terms

• Äisbier
• Teddybier

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *bazją. Compare German Beere, Danish bær, English berry.

Noun

Bier n (plural Bier)

1. berry

Derived terms

• Hambier
• Molbier
• Päerdsbier
• Schwaarzbier
• Äerdbier

 

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Pennsylvania German

Etymology

Compare German Bier, Dutch bier, English beer.

Noun

Bier n (plural Biere)

1. beer

Derived terms

• Bierhef