Versuches

Versuches is not a standard modern German word. In contemporary usage, the correct plural form is Versuche, and the genitive singular is des Versuchs. The form Versuches may be found in older texts or as a nonstandard variant, but it is generally considered obsolete or incorrect in standard German today. When encountered, it is usually best interpreted as a mistaken or historical spelling rather than as a separate modern term.

The primary meanings of Versuch (and by extension Versuche in the plural) are twofold: an attempt or trial to achieve a result, and an experiment or test to explore a hypothesis or to study a phenomenon. In everyday language, one can say “einen Versuch wagen” (to take a chance) or “einen Versuch starten” (to begin an attempt). In scientific and technical contexts, Versuche or Versuche durchführen refers to controlled procedures designed to observe effects and gather data, analogous to the English word “experiment.” The distinction between the broader sense of a trial and the more specific sense of an experimental procedure is shared with related terms in many languages.

Etymologically, Versuch derives from the German verb versuchen, meaning to attempt or to test, with related nouns in use since the Middle High German period. The term appears across disciplines—from science and engineering to philosophy and everyday life—often signaling a methodical process to obtain knowledge or to reach a goal. See also Versuche (plural form) and Experiment.