to make a mistake / waste
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to make a mistake
To make an error or be mistaken, especially in a calculation, count, or assessment.
Entschuldigung, ich habe mich beim Wechselgeld vertan, hier fehlt ein Euro.
Sorry, I made a mistake with the change; one euro is missing here.
to waste time
To waste time or spend it on something unimportant.
Wir haben den ganzen Nachmittag damit vertan, eine alte Serie anzuschauen.
We wasted the whole afternoon watching an old series.
The verb is made up of the prefix 'ver-' and the verb 'tun' (to do). The prefix 'ver-' indicates here that something is done wrongly or incorrectly.
Oh, ich glaube, bei der Adresse habe ich mich vertan.
Oh, I think I made a mistake with the address.
The meaning changes depending on the structure: 'sich vertun' (to make a mistake) always means 'to be mistaken'. 'Etwas vertun' (to waste something), with an accusative object, usually 'Zeit' (time), means 'to waste something'.
Ich habe mich in der Uhrzeit vertan und kam zu spät.
I got the time wrong and arrived late.
In the meaning 'sich irren' (to be mistaken), the verb is always reflexive. You can make a mistake not only with numbers, but also about a person or a situation.
Er hat sich in seiner Einschätzung des Projekts völlig vertan.
He was completely wrong in his assessment of the project.
The expression 'Zeit vertun' (to waste time) is very common. It is often expanded with the preposition 'mit' (with) to indicate what the time was wasted on.
Ich habe den ganzen Sonntag damit vertan, aufzuräumen.
I wasted the whole Sunday cleaning up.
to provide / to be mistaken
„Sich versehen“ and „sich vertun“ both refer to an unintentional mistake. „Sich vertun“ is used especially for a calculation, count, or estimate, while „sich versehen“ also works for other specific mistakes. When calculating or counting, „sich vertun“ is therefore especially appropriate.
Ich habe mich bei der Rechnung vertan und eine falsche Summe notiert.
I made a mistake in the calculation and wrote down the wrong total.
Ich habe mich bei der Telefonnummer versehen und eine falsche Zahl notiert.
I made a mistake when entering the phone number and wrote down the wrong digit.
