How to Say ‘Take care / Be careful’ in Japanese
気をつけて
ki o tsuke te
[kee oh tsoo-keh teh]
💬 Usage Tip: [気をつけて] literally means "attach attention," but it's just the normal way to say "take care" or "be careful." You'll hear it by itself a lot, not only before [行ってください].
Phrase Breakdown
気
ki
[kee]
spirit; mind; care; attention
気 often refers to one's mind, attention, or feelings. In 気をつけて, it means 'take care/pay attention.'
気がいい人です。
He is a kind person.
を
o
[oh]
object marker
を marks the direct object of a verb. It is written を and pronounced お.
水を飲みます。
I drink water.
つけ
tsuke
[tsoo-keh]
attach; turn on; be careful (stem)
つけ is the stem of つける. In 気をつけて, it means 'be careful.'
電気をつけてください。
Please turn on the light.
て
te
[teh]
te-form ending
て connects actions or makes polite requests and set expressions.
座ってください。
Please sit down.
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