carelessness
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carelessness
A lack of attention or care that often leads to a mistake, an oversight, or an accident.
Ein Moment der Unachtsamkeit im Straßenverkehr kann schlimme Folgen haben.
A moment of carelessness in traffic can have serious consequences.
The word is clearly structured: the prefix 'Un-' means 'not,' the stem 'achtsam' means 'attentive,' and the ending '-keit' turns it into a noun. So 'Unachtsamkeit' (carelessness) is literally the state of not being attentive.
Achtsamkeit im Alltag kann Stress reduzieren.
Mindfulness in everyday life can reduce stress.
The preposition 'aus' is used very frequently to indicate the reason for a mistake or accident. The phrase 'aus Unachtsamkeit' means 'because someone was careless.'
Er hat aus Unachtsamkeit die falsche Datei gelöscht.
He deleted the wrong file out of carelessness.
Common combinations are 'ein Moment der Unachtsamkeit' (a moment of carelessness) or 'ein Fehler aus Unachtsamkeit' (a mistake due to carelessness). These emphasize that even a short lapse in concentration can have negative consequences.
Ein kurzer Moment der Unachtsamkeit genügte, und der Kaffee war verschüttet.
A brief moment of carelessness was enough, and the coffee was spilled.
'Unachtsamkeit' (carelessness) is a typical word in formal contexts such as police accident reports, insurance documents, or legal texts. It often describes the cause of damage in a neutral, official way.
Im Polizeibericht wurde Unachtsamkeit als Unfallursache vermerkt.
In the police report, carelessness was noted as the cause of the accident.
negligence
Fahrlässigkeit and Unachtsamkeit can both describe careless behavior that causes harm. Fahrlässigkeit is the formal, especially legal, term for failing to exercise due care, while Unachtsamkeit usually refers more generally to a mistake or a brief lapse in attention.
Wegen einer kurzen Unachtsamkeit stieß der Fahrer beim Parken an das andere Auto.
Because of a brief lapse in attention, the driver bumped into the other car while parking.
Das Gericht sah in der fehlenden Sicherung der Baustelle Fahrlässigkeit.
The court considered the failure to secure the construction site negligence.
