Take care is a warm way to say goodbye and wish someone well. People say it to friends, family and colleagues, both out loud and at the end of an email or message. Its second meaning is “be careful”: Take care on the roads, it's icy. The usual reply to Take care! is You too!
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Take care! (= goodbye); Take care + when/on + situation (= be careful); take care of yourself
- Thanks for visiting me, Grandma. Take care, and call me when you get home.
- 'I'm off to the airport now.' 'Have a safe flight. Take care!'
- Take care when you cross the road near the school. Cars drive really fast there.
What changed
First versionBye, Mum! Take care about yourself and don't work too hard.
RevisionBye, Mum! Take care of yourself and don't work too hard.
About can slip in from care about (I care about you), but in the full form, take care is followed by of: take care of yourself.
Without of, the phrase stands on its own: Take care! means “look after yourself, bye”. With of and an object, it becomes a different expression, “look after” or “deal with”: Can you take care of the dog this weekend? So after take care of, you always name who or what is being looked after.
Your turn
It's late and the roads are dark, so ___ on your way home!
Show the answer
take care — You're telling someone to be careful on the way home, and there is no object after the expression, so take care. Take care of needs an object, the person or thing being looked after: take care of your little sister.
Write a short message to a friend who is going on a trip. Say where they're going and end the message with Take care!
Hope your flight to Istanbul goes smoothly, Ira. Call me when you land. Take care!
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