versuchen

try

verb fer-ZOO-khen Common

Also means

attempt

Usage Note

versuchen takes a zu-infinitive for what you attempt, as in versuchen zu schlafen ('try to sleep'). The related noun der Versuch means both an 'attempt' and a scientific 'experiment'.

Examples

"Ich versuche es noch einmal."

Natural Translation

I'll try it one more time.

Literal Translation

I try it yet once.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

How to Memorize German Vocabulary Fast

Memorize German vocabulary fast with a five-step workflow: drill the top 100 words, learn nouns with their article, color-code gender, and use spaced repetition

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Der, Die, Das: Rules to Guess German Gender

German noun gender rules made simple: check the suffix first, then meaning. Endings like -ung, -chen, and -ling predict der, die, or das with ~90% accuracy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Adjective Endings Made Simple

German adjective endings come down to one question, not three tables: does the article already show gender and case? If yes, the adjective stays lazy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Greetings by Region: Grüß Gott to Grüezi

German greetings change by region: say Moin in Hamburg, Grüß Gott in Bavaria, Grüezi in Switzerland. A map of every hello and goodbye, plus du vs. Sie.

June 5, 2026 6 min read