This is the 919th most frequent Croatian word.
pokušali
"Attempted" or "tried."
Here, 'pokušali' is used as the verbal component to indicate the act of attempting to complete an action, directed towards solving a problem.
Pokušali smo riješiti problem na vrijeme.
We tried to solve the problem on time.
In this sentence, 'pokušali' implies an attempt to communicate and clarify the situation using an explanation.
Oni su pokušali objasniti situaciju svojim riječima.
They tried to explain the situation in their own words.
The term 'pokušali' in this context conveys that an effort or attempt was made to establish communication, followed by an outcome.