Leichtsinn

recklessness

noun LYKHT-zin Rare

Also means

carelessness

Usage Note

Leichtsinn means a light-minded carelessness about risks, from leicht (light). The adjective leichtsinnig warns against rash behaviour, as in leichtsinnig handeln. Rarely pluralised.

Examples

"Aus reinem Leichtsinn unterschrieb er den Vertrag ungelesen."

Natural Translation

Out of sheer recklessness he signed the contract unread.

Literal Translation

Out-of pure recklessness signed he the contract unread.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Word Order: The Verb Rules That Trip You Up

German word order comes down to three verb-position rules: the verb is second in main clauses, last after weil and dass, and time comes before place.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

How to Tell Time in German Without Mistakes

Halb sieben means 6:30, not 7:30. Master telling time in German — Viertel nach, halb, vor, the 24-hour clock, and the prepositions that trip up beginners.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

Wo, Wohin, Woher: Three Ways to Say Where

German splits where into three: wo (location), wohin (destination), and woher (origin). Learn the wo vs wohin rule, the hin/her logic, and common mistakes.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Der, Die, Das: Rules to Guess German Gender

German noun gender rules made simple: check the suffix first, then meaning. Endings like -ung, -chen, and -ling predict der, die, or das with ~90% accuracy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read