unachtsam
careless
Not paying attention and therefore easily making mistakes or overlooking dangers.
EXAMPLE
Weil er unachtsam war, übersah er das rote Ampelsignal.
Because he was careless, he overlooked the red traffic light.
unachtsam
careless / inattentive
unachtsam – unachtsamer – am unachtsamsten
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry unachtsam, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comparison
| basic form | unachtsam |
|---|---|
| comparative | unachtsamer |
| superlative | am unachtsamsten |
After der, die, das
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -e | -e | -e | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -e | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to unachtsam.
After ein, eine
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to unachtsam.
Without article
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -e |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -e |
| dat. | -em | -er | -em | -en |
| gen. | -en | -er | -en | -er |
Add the ending to unachtsam.
Usage tips
Word formation
In „unachtsam“ (careless), you can recognize „un-“ and „achtsam“ (attentive). The prefix „un-“ negates the quality here: the necessary attention is missing.
EXAMPLE
Beim Überqueren der Straße war er unachtsam und bemerkte das Fahrrad zu spät.
He was careless when crossing the street and noticed the bicycle too late.
Handling something
A typical combination is „unachtsamer Umgang mit“ (careless handling of). After „mit“ (with), the dative is used; this names the thing someone is not careful enough when using.
EXAMPLE
Der unachtsame Umgang mit dem Messer führte zu einer Verletzung.
The careless handling of the knife led to an injury.
Typical expression
The expression „in einem unachtsamen Moment“ (in a careless moment) is often used with a single mistake or mishap. It describes a brief situation and does not have to express a permanent trait of the person.
EXAMPLE
In einem unachtsamen Moment löschte sie die falsche Datei.
In a careless moment, she deleted the wrong file.
In real life
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