attempt / experiment
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attempt
The act of trying to do or achieve something, often without certainty that it will succeed.
Sein erster Versuch, den Kuchen zu backen, ist leider misslungen.
His first attempt to bake the cake unfortunately failed.
'Der Versuch' (the attempt / experiment) is the noun related to the verb 'versuchen' (to try). When you try something, you make an attempt.
Ich versuche, das Problem zu lösen.
I am trying to solve the problem.
'Versuch' (attempt) is very often used with an infinitive construction with 'zu' (to) to describe what is being attempted. The pattern is: 'der Versuch, etwas zu tun' (the attempt to do something).
Der Versuch, den Weltrekord zu brechen, scheiterte knapp.
The attempt to break the world record failed narrowly.
When it is about an action, 'Versuch' (attempt) is often combined with the verbs 'unternehmen' (to make / undertake), 'starten' (to start), or 'wagen' (to dare).
Er unternahm einen letzten Versuch, sie zu überzeugen.
He made one last attempt to convince her.
In a scientific context, 'der Versuch' always means 'das Experiment' (the experiment). Signal words for this are 'Labor' (laboratory), 'wissenschaftlich' (scientific), 'Hypothese' (hypothesis), or verbs like 'durchführen' (to conduct) and 'auswerten' (to evaluate).
Die Forscherin wertet die Ergebnisse des Versuchs aus.
The researcher evaluates the results of the experiment.
to try / taste
'versuchen' and 'der Versuch' are closely related, but they have a different grammatical form. 'versuchen' is a verb and describes the action: someone does something and does not yet know whether it will work. 'der Versuch' is a noun and names this action as a thing or event. Learners can easily confuse them because they look very similar and are connected in meaning. After 'versuchen', there is often an infinitive with 'zu', for example 'ich versuche zu helfen' (I am trying to help). 'der Versuch', by contrast, needs an article and is used like a normal noun.
Der erste Versuch war nicht erfolgreich, aber wir haben viel gelernt.
The first attempt was not successful, but we learned a lot.
Ich versuche heute, den Drucker selbst zu reparieren.
I am trying to repair the printer myself today.