Versuchen in the Present Tense in German

Introduction

Versuchen means “to try”, and this page covers exactly one thing: versuchen in the present tense. The present is the tense German speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for versuchen, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about versuchen in the present. For example: “Ich versuche das neue Rezept jeden Tag.” — “I try the new recipe every day.” Everything on this page uses the forms of versuchen exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Versuchen in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
ich versuche
du versuchst
er/sie/es versucht
wir versuchen
ihr versucht
sie/Sie versuchen

Partizip I: versuchend · Partizip II: versucht

The present participle is versuchend, which you use as an adjective. The past participle is versucht, which you use with haben in the perfect tenses: the ich form of the Perfekt is habe versucht, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the Präsens is only one part of how versuchen is used.

How the Präsens of versuchen is formed

The present of versuchen is irregular: the forms do not follow the regular weak pattern, so learn them as a set — ich versuche, du versuchst, er/sie/es versucht, wir versuchen, ihr versucht, sie/Sie versuchen. There is no single stem that produces all six forms, which is why this verb is listed as irregular in the present in the verified tables. Say the six forms aloud in order, ich to sie, until the set feels like one unit rather than six separate words.

The present stem also feeds other tenses: the preterite and Konjunktiv II are built from the same family of forms, so learning the present properly makes the rest of the conjugation easier. Partizip I versuchend and Partizip II versucht belong to the same family — learn them together with the present table and you will recognise versuchen in every tense.

When to use the Präsens of versuchen

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use versuchen in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Trying the new recipe — the everyday use

Versuchen is the verb for trying the new recipe. It covers the ordinary, everyday situations where this verb appears, at home and outside. Example: “Ich versuche das neue Rezept jeden Tag.” — “I try the new recipe every day.”

2. Trying the cake — a second everyday use

Versuchen also covers trying the cake. This use is very common in everyday speech, and it is the one learners meet next after the first. Example: “Du versuchst den Kuchen jeden Tag.” — “You try the cake every day.”

3. Trying the game — a third everyday use

In a third everyday situation, you use versuchen for trying the game. The same verb, the same present forms, a different situation — that is why the present is worth learning as a whole table rather than one form at a time. Example: “Er versucht das Spiel jeden Tag.” — “He tries the game every day.”

4. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and versuchen is no exception. Use time expressions such as jeden Tag, immer or jede Woche to make the routine explicit. Example: “Wir versuchen das neue Rezept jeden Tag.” — “We try the new recipe every day.”

5. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. German often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with versuchen in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Ihr versucht den Kuchen jeden Tag.” — “You try the cake every day.”

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the Präsens is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the preterite describes a completed past action, mostly in writing and stories, while the present describes habits and facts that are true now. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the Präsens sentences use words such as jeden Tag or gestern, while the preterite sentences belong to a story told in the past. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present: “Ich versuche das neue Rezept jeden Tag.” — “I try the new recipe every day.”

  • Preterite (Präteritum): “Ich versuchte das neue Rezept gestern.” — “I tried the new recipe yesterday.”

  • The Präsens sentence is about the present moment or one finished action in speech; the preterite sentence is about the past as it is told in writing. That difference — now or finished in speech versus told in a story — is the whole decision.

  • Present: “Du versuchst den Kuchen jeden Tag.” — “You try the cake every day.”

  • Preterite (Präteritum): “Du versuchtest den Kuchen gestern.” — “You tried the cake yesterday.”

  • The Präsens sentence is about the present moment or one finished action in speech; the preterite sentence is about the past as it is told in writing. That difference — now or finished in speech versus told in a story — is the whole decision.

  • Present: “Wir versuchen das Spiel jeden Tag.” — “We try the game every day.”

  • Preterite (Präteritum): “Wir versuchten das Spiel gestern.” — “We tried the game yesterday.”

  • The Präsens sentence is about the present moment or one finished action in speech; the preterite sentence is about the past as it is told in writing. That difference — now or finished in speech versus told in a story — is the whole decision.

Example sentences: versuchen in the Präsens

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other words — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Ich versuche den Kuchen jeden Tag.” — “I try the cake every day.”

  2. “Du versuchst das Spiel jeden Tag.” — “You try the game every day.”

  3. “Er versucht das neue Rezept jeden Tag.” — “He tries the new recipe every day.”

  4. “Wir versuchen den Kuchen jeden Tag.” — “We try the cake every day.”

  5. “Ihr versucht das Spiel jeden Tag.” — “You try the game every day.”

  6. “Sie versuchen das neue Rezept jeden Tag.” — “They try the new recipe every day.”

  7. “Ich versuche den Kuchen jeden Tag.” — “I try the cake every day.”

  8. “Du versuchst das Spiel jeden Tag.” — “You try the game every day.”

Common mistakes with versuchen in the Präsens

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Ich versuchen das neue Rezept.” Right: “Ich versuche das neue Rezept.” Why: The ich form is versuche, not versuchen. Versuchen belongs with sie. Mixing the two groups is the most common error with this verb.

  • Wrong: “Wir versuchen das neue Rezept.” Right: “Wir versuchen das neue Rezept.” Why: Wir keeps its own form: versuchen, not versuchen. Learn wir and ihr as a separate pair from the singular forms.

  • Wrong: “Ich versuchen das neue Rezept.” (with the infinitive) Right: “Ich versuche das neue Rezept.” Why: The infinitive versuchen never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form versuche.

  • Wrong: “Es ist wichtig, dass ich versuche das neue Rezept.” Right: “Es ist wichtig, dass ich versuche das neue Rezept.” Why: After es ist wichtig, dass German needs Konjunktiv I, so use versuche here, not the indicative versuche.

Quiz: versuchen in the Präsens

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

1. Complete the sentence: “Ich ______ den Kuchen.”

  • (A) versuchst
  • (B) versucht
  • (C) versuchen
  • (D) versuche

2. Complete the sentence: “Du ______ das Spiel.”

  • (A) versuchen
  • (B) versuchst
  • (C) versuche
  • (D) versucht

3. Complete the sentence: “Er ______ das neue Rezept.”

  • (A) versucht
  • (B) versuche
  • (C) versuchst
  • (D) versuchen

4. Complete the sentence: “Wir ______ den Kuchen.”

  • (A) versucht
  • (B) versuchen
  • (C) versuche
  • (D) versuchst

5. Complete the sentence: “Ihr ______ das Spiel.”

  • (A) versucht
  • (B) versuche
  • (C) versuchst
  • (D) versuchen

6. Complete the sentence: “Sie ______ das neue Rezept.”

  • (A) versucht
  • (B) versuchen
  • (C) versuche
  • (D) versuchst

7. What does versuchen mean in English?

  • (A) to believe
  • (B) to mean
  • (C) to try
  • (D) to try, to taste

8. What is the past participle (Partizip II) of versuchen?

  • (A) versucht
  • (B) probiert
  • (C) geglaubt
  • (D) gemeint

Answer key

  1. D) versuche — The ich form is versuche.
  2. B) versuchst — The du form is versuchst.
  3. A) versucht — The er/sie/es form is versucht.
  4. B) versuchen — The wir form is versuchen.
  5. A) versucht — The ihr form is versucht.
  6. B) versuchen — The sie/Sie form is versuchen.
  7. C) to try — versuchen means “to try”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
  8. A) versucht — The past participle of versuchen is versucht; the Präsens is formed with haben + versucht.

Frequently asked questions

How is the present of versuchen formed?

The present of versuchen is irregular, so the six forms must be learned as a set from the table above: ich versuche, du versuchst, er versucht, wir versuchen, ihr versucht, sie versuchen. There is no regular pattern that produces them.

When do I use the present of versuchen?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now — for example, “Ich versuche das neue Rezept jeden Tag.” — “I try the new recipe every day.” For a finished past action, use the Perfekt instead.

What is the difference between the present and the preterite of versuchen?

The present describes what is true now or happens regularly; the preterite describes a completed past action, mostly in writing. Compare “Ich versuche das neue Rezept jeden Tag.” with “Ich versuchte das neue Rezept gestern.” — the first is now, the second is the past as it is told in a story.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for versuchen, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

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