How to Say ‘Be careful, okay?’ in Mexican Spanish
Ten cuidado, ¿eh?
tehn kwee-DAH-doh eh
[tehn kwee-DAH-doh eh]
💬 Usage Tip: Tagging ¿eh? onto the end softens an instruction into a caring nudge, like "okay?"
🇲🇽 In Mexico: Expect this from Mexican elders at nearly every goodbye, especially about sports or going out. A simple sí, abuelita is the expected reply.
Phrase Breakdown
Ten
[tehn]
have (command)
Informal command of 'tener'; 'ten cuidado' means be careful.
Ten paciencia.
Have patience.
cuidado
[kwee-DAH-doh]
care
Noun meaning care or caution.
Maneja con cuidado.
Drive carefully.
eh
[eh]
Eh
An expression used to get attention or indicate thinking.
Cuando no sabes qué decir, puedes usar 'Eh'.
When you don't know what to say, you can use 'Eh'.
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