Learn Dutch: Ik heb me verlezen, er is geen pauze.

Combining the inseparable prefix ver- with a reflexive pronoun (like me, zich, etc.) often creates a verb that means "to do an action incorrectly by mistake." Since lezen means "to read," zich verlezen translates to "to misread" or "to make a reading error."

Could I just say Ik heb verlezen without the me?

No, you must include the reflexive pronoun. Without it, the verb doesn't carry the meaning of "making a mistake." The error-indicating construction specifically requires both the ver- prefix and the reflexive pronoun.

Why is the past participle verlezen and not vergelezen?

Verbs that start with an unstressed, inseparable prefix—such as ver-, be-, ont-, or her-—do not take the standard ge- prefix in their past participle form. Therefore, while lezen becomes gelezen, zich verlezen simply stays verlezen.

Why do we use er in er is geen pauze?