How to Say ‘Be careful (casual request)’ in Japanese
気をつけて
ki o tsuke te
[kee oh tsoo-keh teh]
💬 Usage Tip: [気をつけて] is the casual “Take care/Be careful.” To make it polite for strangers, say [気をつけてください].
🇯🇵 In Japan: If a stranger helps you, you usually wouldn’t say casual [気をつけて] to them unless the vibe is friendly; [お気をつけください] is more polite and common in service settings.
Phrase Breakdown
気
ki
[kee]
attention; care
In the phrase 気をつけて, 気 refers to “attention/care.” The whole expression means “Be careful.”
夜は気をつけて地下鉄の駅まで歩いてください。
At night, please be careful as you walk to the subway station.
を
o
[oh]
object marker “o”
Marks 気 as what you “apply” in the idiom 気をつけて (be careful).
足元を気をつけて。
Watch your step.
つけ
tsuke
[tsoo-keh]
attach/apply (stem)
The stem of つける; appears before て to form the te-form つけて in 気をつけて.
気をつけて渡ってください。
Please cross carefully.
て
te
[teh]
te-form ending (request/connection)
Makes a te-form, often used for soft requests or set expressions like 気をつけて (“Be careful”).
気をつけて行ってください。
Please take care on your way.
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