negligent
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negligent
Acting without the required care and attention, often resulting in damage. This can refer both to everyday situations and to the legal sense.
Das Feuer wurde durch fahrlässigen Umgang mit Zigaretten verursacht.
The fire was caused by negligent handling of cigarettes.
Although it looks that way, 'fahrlässig' (negligent) has nothing to do with the verb 'fahren' (to drive/travel). It comes from the old word 'vār' (danger) and literally means that one allows a danger to occur through carelessness.
Er hat die Warnung ignoriert und sich in Gefahr begeben.
He ignored the warning and put himself in danger.
'Fahrlässig' (negligent) can be used as an adjective before a noun, as in 'ein fahrlässiger Fehler' (a negligent mistake), or as an adverb to describe an action, as in 'fahrlässig handeln' (to act negligently).
Sein fahrlässiges Verhalten führte zu dem Unfall.
His negligent behavior led to the accident.
Common combinations are 'fahrlässig handeln' (to act negligently) and 'fahrlässiges Verhalten' (negligent behavior). In a legal context, there are fixed terms such as 'grob fahrlässig' (grossly negligent) and 'fahrlässige Tötung' (negligent homicide/manslaughter).
Das Gericht verurteilte ihn wegen fahrlässiger Brandstiftung.
The court convicted him of negligent arson.
careful / cautious
'vorsichtig' and 'fahrlässig' both describe how someone deals with possible dangers or mistakes. 'vorsichtig' means that someone acts attentively and wants to avoid damage. 'fahrlässig' is the opposite: someone does not act carefully enough, even though damage is possible. 'fahrlässig' often sounds stronger and can also be used in legal situations. As a simple guide: someone who is 'vorsichtig' thinks about risks; someone who acts 'fahrlässig' pays too little attention to them.
Marie handelt fahrlässig, wenn sie beim Radfahren ständig auf ihr Handy schaut.
Marie acts negligently if she keeps looking at her phone while cycling.
Bei der Arbeit ist er besonders vorsichtig, wenn er die Maschine prüft.
At work, he is especially careful when he checks the machine.