Its many essential differences in grammar as well as in vocabulary and pronunciation make it practically unintelligible for people speaking Standard German.

The use of Italian throughout the country and the influence of nearby Venetian have both had large effects on the number of speakers of Cimbrian throughout past centuries.

Actually, though the ancient Cimbri are considered to have been a Germanic tribe, there is no reason to connect them linguistically or otherwise with the speakers of Cimbrian.

In Trentino, according to the census of 2001, the first in which data on native languages were recorded, Cimbrian was spoken by a majority in the municipality of Lusérn (267 people, 89.9%).

Beginning in the 1990s, various laws and regulations have been passed by the Italian parliament and provincial assembly that put the Cimbrian language and culture under protection.

School curricula were adapted in order to teach in Cimbrian, and bilingual street signs are being developed.

A cultural institute (Istituto Cimbro/Kulturinstitut Lusérn) was founded by decree in 1987, whose purpose is to "...safeguard, promote and exploit the ethnographic and cultural heritage of the German speaking minority of the municipality of Luserna while paying special attention to historic and linguistic expressions, to the protection of the environment, and to the economic-cultural development of the Cimbrian community territory.

As in these other dialects, the use of the preterite has been replaced by the perfect which is formed with the prefix ga- (vallen 'to fall'; gavallet 'fallen').

In the first few days a Czech commander wanted to give up, hoisting the white flag and withdrawing the garrison.

When the Italians came storming into the fort to occupy it, the drunken soldier awoke from his intoxication and began to let the machine gun rattle.

Während des Krieges wehrte sich die Festung von Lusern vortrefflich.

Als die anstürmenden Italiener in die Festung eindringen wollten, um sie in Besitz zu nehmen, erwachte der betrunkene Soldat von seinem Rausch und fing an, das Maschinengewehr knattern zu lassen.

[11] Pan khriage dar forte vo Lusern hat se gebeart gerecht.

Bia da soin zuakhent di Balischan zo giana drin in forte, is se darbkeht dar trunkhante soldado un hat agehevt z'schiasa.