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 [FOR-zikht].
- The “vor” sounds like “for.”
- The “sicht” is like “sikht,” with that soft, throaty German “ch.”
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:
- An exclamation – like “Look out!” or “Heads up!”
Vorsicht, Auto! – “Watch out, car!” - A noun – meaning caution, care, or prudence
mit Vorsicht genießen – to take with a grain of salt / consume with caution
It’s closely related to the verb vorsichtig sein – to be careful – and the adjective vorsichtig (careful/cautious).
There’s no perfect one-word antonym, but a useful opposite in tone is Leichtsinn (masculine, der Leichtsinn)—meaning recklessness or carelessness.
Grammatical case examples:
- Nominative:
Die Vorsicht des Fahrers verhinderte einen Unfall.
The driver’s caution prevented an accident. - Accusative:
Ich bewundere die Vorsicht, mit der sie arbeitet.
I admire the caution with which she works. - Dative:
Mit der Vorsicht kam auch die Unsicherheit.
With the caution came uncertainty as well. - Genitive:
Wegen der Vorsicht dauerte alles etwas länger.
Because of the caution, everything took a bit longer.
Feminine article pattern: die, die, der, der
Word variations and language tidbits
Variation Station:
- vorsichtig – careful
- Vorsichtsmaßnahme – precautionary measure
- mit Vorsicht zu genießen – “to be taken with caution” (used for food, ideas, or promises)
Cultural tip: German society tends to place high value on Vorsicht—you’ll see it in parenting styles, public planning, even interpersonal communication. A German might not just tell you to enjoy your meal, but to “Genieß es mit Vorsicht” if it's especially spicy.
🎥 Learn Vorsicht and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course:
https://deutschable.com/nouns/
How do you feel about ONE more German word of the day? Do you know what Vorteil means? Or how to talk about hunger in German?