Translation guide
The English phrase "take care" has several distinct uses: expressing caution, saying goodbye, showing concern for someone's well-being, and handling responsibilities. Japanese uses different expressions for each.
Warn someone to avoid danger or mistakes.
Say farewell in a warm but not overly formal way.
A very common casual goodbye, similar to 'see you'. Often used among friends.
Take care, see you tomorrow.
Take responsibility for the well-being or maintenance of a person, pet, or thing.
The standard way to say 'take care of' someone or something. 世話 means 'care' or 'looking after'.
Take responsibility for completing a task or resolving an issue.
Means 'to be in charge of' or 'handle' a task. Common in work contexts.
Advise someone to look after their own health or safety.
Specifically means 'take care of your health/body'. Often said to someone who is sick or working too hard.
The English phrase 'take care' cannot be directly translated word-for-word into Japanese. Using 世話をする for a goodbye would be unnatural. Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
気をつけて is the default for everyday warnings. 注意して is more formal and often appears in signs or official announcements. In casual speech, 気をつけて is preferred.
Literally 'stay well', used when parting for a longer time or when you want to express more care. Closer to 'take care of yourself'.
Take care. Let's meet again.
Can be used as a farewell, especially when someone is traveling. Implies 'take care on your way'.
Take care, have a good trip.
My mother takes care of my sick grandmother.
Can you take care of my dog while I'm traveling?
Means 'to treasure' or 'take good care of' something, emphasizing emotional value.
Please take good care of this book.
I'll take care of that problem.
Means 'to process' or 'deal with' something, often used for paperwork, complaints, or technical issues.
I'll take care of these documents.
Literally 'to tidy up', but can mean 'to take care of' a task or problem, especially when finishing it off.
Let's take care of this work quickly.
Don't overdo it, take care of yourself.
Common phrase said to someone who is sick or injured, meaning 'get well soon' or 'take care of yourself'.
I heard you caught a cold. Take care.