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.
attention
'Aufmerksamkeit' and 'Unachtsamkeit' are opposites. 'Aufmerksamkeit' means that you are concentrated and paying attention to a person, thing, or activity. 'Unachtsamkeit' means that exactly this attention or care is missing. As a result, mistakes, oversights, or accidents often happen. The words can be confused mainly because of their similar form, but the prefix 'un-' makes the meaning negative. If someone is paying good attention, you use 'Aufmerksamkeit'. If someone is not paying attention and therefore does something wrong, 'Unachtsamkeit' fits.
Durch eine kurze Unachtsamkeit vergaß die Gruppe im Kurs eine wichtige Aufgabe.
Because of a brief moment of carelessness, the group in the course forgot an important task.
Bei der Arbeit prüft sie die Zahlen mit großer Aufmerksamkeit.
At work, she checks the figures with great attention.