Short answer
“take care” in Japanese is 気をつけて
How to say take care in Japanese?
The standard way to say 'take care' in Japanese is 気をつけて (きをつけて, ki o tsukete). Say it when someone is leaving your house, heading off on a trip, or going out for the day; it literally means 'be careful' but works like 'take care' in English. If the person is sick or recovering, switch to お大事に (おだいじに, o-daiji ni). For casual goodbyes you can add ね: 気をつけてね, and for a longer separation (such as moving abroad) people sometimes say 元気でね (げんきでね, genki de ne). Here is the full answer to 'How to say take care in Japanese' with examples and common mistakes.
Common pairings
気をつけてください (polite 'take care')気をつけてね (casual 'take care')どうぞお大事に (polite 'please take care' when sick)風邪をひかないように気をつけて (take care not to catch a cold)車に気をつけて (watch out for cars)
How to use it
- Say 気をつけて when someone is leaving your home, finishing a visit, or going on a trip. It is the te-form of 気をつける ('to be careful') and is used as a set send-off phrase, not as a literal command.
- Switch to お大事に when the person is sick or recovering. お大事に is already polite by itself; お大事にしてください is the fuller, more formal version.
- For a casual, affectionate tone, add ね: 気をつけてね. For a formal situation, use 気をつけてください.
- 元気でね is another casual goodbye meaning roughly 'stay well'. Use it when you will not see the person for a while; for everyday goodbyes, 気をつけてね is more common.
Examples
気をつけてね、また明日。
Take care — see you tomorrow.
きをつけてね、またあした (ki o tsukete ne, mata ashita). The casual ね makes it sound warm and friendly; this is what you say to friends or family when they leave.
お大事にしてください。
Please take care of yourself.
おだいじにしてください (o-daiji ni shite kudasai). Use this for someone who is sick, injured, or recovering; it is more polite than just お大事に.
車に気をつけて。
Take care around traffic.
くるまにきをつけて (kuruma ni ki o tsukete). 気をつける takes the particle に, so 車に means 'be mindful of cars'.
元気でね、また会おう。
Stay well — let's meet again.
げんきでね、またあおう (genki de ne, mata aou). 元気でね is a warm, casual goodbye for longer separations.
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 気をつけ |
気をつけて！ | The dictionary form 気をつける just means 'to be careful' and sounds abrupt as a command. The te-form 気をつけて is the set phrase used as a warm 'take care' when someone leaves. |
| 体 |
体に気をつけてください | 気をつける takes the particle に, not を. Saying 体を makes it sound as if the body is being directly handled; the natural phrase is 体に気をつけてください ('please take care of your health'). |
| Unnatural | Natural | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 気をつけてね！ | お大事に is only used for people who are sick or recovering. To a healthy friend who is just leaving, it sounds odd; 気をつけてね is the natural casual send-off. |
FAQ
- How to say take care in Japanese?The standard phrase is 気をつけて (きをつけて, ki o tsukete). Use it when someone is leaving. Add ね for a casual tone (気をつけてね) or ください for a formal one (気をつけてください).
- What is the difference between 気をつけて and お大事に?気をつけて is for everyday goodbyes, like wishing someone a safe trip or a safe walk home. お大事に is specifically for someone who is sick, injured, or recovering; the fuller form is お大事にしてください.
- Is 元気でね the same as 'take care'?It means roughly 'stay well' and works as a warm, casual goodbye when you will not see the person for a while, for example when they move abroad. For a normal goodbye, 気をつけてね is the more common choice.
- Can I say 気をつける to mean 'take care'?No — 気をつける is the dictionary form meaning 'to be careful'. The set phrase for a goodbye is the te-form 気をつけて, or 気をつけてください when you need to be polite.