probieren

Probieren is a German verb with several closely related meanings: to try, to taste or sample, and to test or attempt something. In food contexts it denotes tasting or sampling a dish or drink. In general use it also means to give something a go, to try out a plan or method, or to assess whether something works by experience.

Etymology and scope: Probieren derives from the noun Probe, meaning a test or sample, plus the -ieren verb suffix. It is related to other Germanic languages’ verbs for trying or testing and to the noun Probe in German. The sense of trying something new, testing options, or evaluating outcomes is central to the verb’s usage.

Conjugation and forms: In the present tense the forms are: ich probiere, du probierst, er probiert, wir probieren, ihr probiert, sie probieren. The preterite (simple past) is: ich probierte, du probier testest, er probierte, wir probierten, ihr probiertet, sie probierten. The perfect (present perfect) is formed with haben: ich habe probiert. The past participle is probiert.

Usage notes: The verb takes a direct object when referring to tasting or trying something concrete, as in ich probiere den Kuchen or ich probiere das neue Getränk. For trying out a method or experience, it often appears with aus- in ausprobieren (Ich probiere das neue Programm aus). This is a separable-prefix verb, so the prefix appears at the end in main clauses (Ich habe es ausprobiert).

Imperatives and common phrases: The informal singular is Probier! or Probier’s!; the plural is Probiert! and the formal imperative is Probieren Sie. Common phrases include “etwas zum ersten Mal probieren” (to try something for the first time) and “etwas probieren” (to try something). See also Probe (noun).