Abstract: A water soluble metal anticorrosive comprising a tetrazole compound or a water soluble salt thereof represented by the following formula (1): ##STR1## wherein R and R' each indicate hydrogen, an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group, a phenyl group, an alkylphenyl group, an amino group, a mercapto group or an alkylmercapto group).