cowardly
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cowardly
Describes a person who, out of fear of danger, pain, or inconvenience, does not dare to do what is right or necessary.
Es war feige von ihm, nicht für seinen Freund einzustehen.
It was cowardly of him not to stand up for his friend.
To say that a person's action is cowardly, you often use the construction 'Es ist feige von' (It is cowardly of) + dative. This names the person whose behavior is being evaluated.
Es ist feige von dir, einfach wegzulaufen.
It is cowardly of you to simply run away.
Whether 'feige' (cowardly) describes a person (meaning 1) or an action (meaning 2) can be recognized from the noun. If it appears with words like 'Mensch' (person), it is about character. If it appears with 'Tat' (act) or 'Anschlag' (attack), it is about the action.
Er ist kein Held, aber auch kein feiger Mensch.
He is not a hero, but he is not a cowardly person either.
When an action is described as treacherous, 'feige' (cowardly) often appears before nouns such as 'Anschlag' (attack), 'Angriff' (attack), or 'Tat' (act). These combinations have a very strong negative meaning.
Die Polizei verurteilte den feigen Angriff auf die Rettungskräfte.
The police condemned the cowardly attack on the rescue workers.
careful / cautious
'vorsichtig' and 'feige' can both have to do with fear or avoiding risk. But they evaluate a person or action very differently. 'vorsichtig' is usually neutral or positive: someone is being careful so that nothing bad happens. 'feige' is negative: someone does not do what is right or necessary out of fear, or avoids open confrontation. Learners may confuse the words because both are connected with holding back. 'vorsichtig' sounds like smart protection; 'feige' sounds like a lack of courage.
Es war feige, den Fehler zu kennen und trotzdem nichts zu sagen.
It was cowardly to know about the mistake and still say nothing.
Auf der glatten Straße fährt Mehmet heute besonders vorsichtig.
On the slippery road, Mehmet drives especially carefully today.