Learn Hardcore German: Entschuldigung, ich habe dich missverstanden.

bold Entschuldigung bold works like “Excuse me/Sorry” and can start an apology or get someone’s attention.
bold Es tut mir leid bold is explicitly “I’m sorry.” You can say either, or even combine: bold Entschuldigung, es tut mir leid, ich habe dich missverstanden. bold

Why is it bold dich bold and not bold dir bold?

Because bold missverstehen bold takes a direct object (accusative). The accusative of bold du bold is bold dich bold. Dative (bold dir bold) would be used with verbs that require dative, which is not the case here. Think “I misunderstood bold you bold” (direct object).

How do I say this formally or to more than one person?

Formal (singular or plural): bold Entschuldigung, ich habe Sie missverstanden. bold
Informal plural: bold Entschuldigung, ich habe euch missverstanden. bold Note: Formal bold Sie bold is always capitalized and is both nominative and accusative.

Is bold missverstehen bold a separable verb?

No. bold miss- bold is an inseparable prefix (like bold ver-, be-, er-, ent-, zer- bold). So in the perfect tense you do not add bold ge- bold, and the participle goes to the end: bold … habe dich missverstanden. bold

Why is it bold missverstanden bold and not bold missverstehen bold after bold habe bold?

German perfect uses bold haben/sein + Partizip II bold (past participle). The participle of bold missverstehen bold is bold missverstanden bold. So: bold ich habe … missverstanden bold. Using the infinitive would be ungrammatical here.

Can I use the simple past: bold Ich missverstand dich bold?

Yes, it’s correct but sounds literary or formal. In everyday speech Germans prefer the perfect: bold Ich habe dich missverstanden. bold

What’s the difference between bold dich missverstehen bold and bold dich nicht verstehen bold?

bold dich missverstehen bold = to understand you incorrectly (I got the wrong meaning).
bold dich nicht verstehen bold = to not understand you at all (I didn’t catch it). Both are common, but they say different things.

Can I say bold falsch verstanden bold instead of bold missverstanden bold?

Yes. bold Ich habe dich falsch verstanden bold is very common and colloquial. bold missverstanden bold is perfectly normal too; it can sound a touch more concise/formal.

Where can I place adverbs like bold leider bold or bold wirklich bold?

Typical placement is before the participle and after pronouns:

bold Ich habe dich leider missverstanden. bold
bold Ich habe dich wirklich missverstanden. bold If the object is a full noun, pronouns still tend to come earlier:
bold Ich habe dich gestern total missverstanden. bold

Why is there a comma after bold Entschuldigung bold?

bold Entschuldigung bold is a standalone interjection/noun (“excuse me”) that introduces the sentence. German uses a comma to separate it from the following clause: bold Entschuldigung, ich … bold

Why is bold ich bold not capitalized?

German doesn’t capitalize the pronoun for “I.” bold ich bold is lowercase unless it starts the sentence. Nouns, however, are capitalized—hence bold Entschuldigung bold.

How do I say it if I misunderstood a thing rather than a person?

Use a neuter demonstrative or a noun in the accusative:

bold Ich habe das missverstanden. bold
bold Ich habe die Anleitung missverstanden. bold (“the instructions”)

Is there a way to make this even more polite?

Yes. Add bold bitte bold or use the polite imperative:

bold Entschuldigen Sie bitte, ich habe Sie missverstanden. bold
bold Es tut mir sehr leid, ich habe Sie offenbar missverstanden. bold

What about a casual/short version?

Very common:

bold Sorry, ich hab dich missverstanden. bold
bold Tut mir leid, ich hab dich falsch verstanden. bold Note the spoken contraction bold hab bold for bold habe bold.

How is this pronounced?

bold Entschuldigung bold: stress on “-schuld-” → [ent-SHUL-di-gung]. bold sch bold = [ʃ].
bold ich/dich bold: the “ch” is the “ich-sound” [ç] (like a hissy h).
bold missverstanden bold: stress on “-stan-” → [miss-fer-SHTAN-den]; bold ss bold shows a short vowel in bold miss- bold.

Is there anything to know about spelling bold miss- bold (vs. bold miß- bold)?

Modern spelling is bold miss- bold with double s: bold missverstehen, missverstanden bold. Older texts may have bold mißverstehen, mißverstanden bold (pre-1996 orthography).

Can this verb be reflexive?

Not in this meaning with a single subject. But for mutual misunderstanding you use a reciprocal reflexive:

bold Wir haben uns missverstanden. bold (“We misunderstood each other.”)

How does bold missverstehen bold conjugate in key forms?

Present: bold ich missverstehe, du missverstehst, er/sie/es missversteht bold
Simple past: bold ich missverstand bold
Perfect: bold ich habe missverstanden bold
Participle II: bold missverstanden bold

What might someone reply to this?

Common, friendly replies:

bold Schon gut. bold / bold Kein Problem. bold
bold Das kann passieren. bold / bold Alles gut. bold