Gefahrenzone
/ɡəˈfaːʁənˌt͡soːnə/feminine
The English phrase "danger zone" is translated into German as Gefahrenzone.
Gefahrenzone refers to a hazardous place. This term is commonly used on warning signs in industrial, construction or technical environments to denote areas of physical risk.
Meaning: hazardous place (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of Gefahren (dangers) and Zone (zone).
How does it change in a sentence?
Gefahrenzone is a feminine noun and takes the definite article die (the Gefahrenzone). The plural form is Gefahrenzonen.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡəˈfaːʁənˌtsoːnə/
Did you know?
- The word Gefahr (danger) shares a common root with the English verb 'to fare', both deriving from the idea of 'traveling' or 'journeying' through a path.
- If a German says someone is in Gefahr, it means they are currently in danger, but they would rarely say they are in der Gefahrenzone unless they are physically standing inside a marked perimeter.
- The German Zone is often used in official administrative contexts, such as 'Umweltzone' (environmental zone), making Gefahrenzone sound quite formal and bureaucratic.
Examples in context
- Die Baustelle ist ein gefährlicher BereichThe construction site is a danger zone
- Bitte pass auf, du betrittst gerade eine Gefahrenzone!Please be careful, you're entering a danger zone!
- Dieses Gebiet wird als Risikogebiet eingestuftThis area is classified as a danger zone
- Betreten der Gefahrenzone verboten.Entering the danger zone is prohibited.
- Wir müssen die Gefahrenzone meiden.We must avoid the danger zone.
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are walking through a construction site.
- JuliaVorsicht, Lukas, das ist eine Gefahrenzone.Watch out, Lukas, that is a danger zone.
- LukasOh, danke für den Hinweis, Julia.Oh, thanks for the hint, Julia.
- JuliaWir sollten hier nicht hergehen.We should not walk here.
- LukasOkay, lass uns einen Bogen um die Gefahrenzone machen.Okay, let's go around the danger zone.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “danger zone” translations and entries Gefahrenzone, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Gefahrenzone, CC BY-SA 4.0.
