How do you say Caution in German?

Ever seen a sign that says “Vorsicht, Stufe!” or had someone yell “Vorsicht!” just before you bumped your head? That’s German for “Watch out!” - and it’s a word that shows up anywhere safety (or danger) is involved.

The noun Vorsicht means caution, care, or attention, especially in contexts where being careful could save you a stubbed toe, a bruised ego, or worse. It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, and you’ll see it plastered across warning labels, traffic signs, and train platforms all over German-speaking countries.

It’s a feminine noun, so we say die Vorsicht.

Pronunciation

Vorsicht is pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯zɪçt], with long o in vor and the ich sound in sicht.

• The “vor” sounds like “for.”
• The “sicht” has the ich sound [ç], with the tongue near the hard palate; there is no k sound. Keep the final t.

Example sentences:

• Vorsicht! Der Boden ist rutschig!Careful! The floor is slippery!
• Man sollte mit solchen Aussagen große Vorsicht walten lassen.One should exercise great caution with such statements.

Nuance and usage tips

Vorsicht is used both as:

1. An exclamation - like “Look out!” or “Heads up!”Vorsicht, Auto! - “Watch out, car!”
2. A noun - meaning caution, care, or prudencemit Vorsicht genießen - to take with a grain of salt / consume with caution

It’s closely related to the phrase vorsichtig sein - to be careful - and the adjective vorsichtig (careful/cautious).