気をつけて
ki o tsukete
The English phrase "be careful" is translated into Japanese as 気をつけて (ki o tsukete).
This phrase is a warning used to tell someone to avoid danger or to be cautious. It is also commonly used as a way to say "take care" or "safe travels" when someone is leaving.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 気をつけて (ki o tsukete) literally means "pay attention to your spirit/energy".
Which one should you use?
While 気をつけて is a standard way to express the idea, the form 気をつけてね is more informal and 気をつけろ (ki o tsukero) is a very blunt and forceful command often used by men in high-stress situations or in fiction. For even more formal situations, you can use お気をつけて or ご用心ください.
How do you pronounce it?
ki o tsukete
When do people say it?
This phrase is frequently used as a warm way to say "take care" or wish someone safe travels as they depart.
Did you know?
- In Japanese, there is a distinction between being careful with an object, using 取り扱い注意, and being careful with one's own safety, using 気をつけて.
- While 気をつけて is used for safety, the word 気 (ki) is so central to Japanese culture that it also describes a person's mood, energy and vitality.
- The forceful form 気をつけろ is a staple of anime and samurai films to signal a sudden ambush or a shift in battle tension.
Examples in context
- 気をつけて！Be careful.This sentence is useful for a direct command to be careful.Tatoeba #1266928 by bunbuku, translation #1849392 by CK
- 気をつけて、トム。Be careful, Tom.This sentence shows how to address someone specifically by name while telling them to be careful.Tatoeba #7462006 by Ninja, translation #7410474 by CK
- 気をつけてください。Please be careful.This sentence demonstrates the polite way to say "Please be careful".Tatoeba #7558356 by Ninja, translation #2047599 by CK
- 「お気をつけて、雨の中で車を運転しないでください。」Please be careful and don't drive in the rain.
- 「ご用心ください！この道路は危険です！」Please be careful! This road is dangerous!
- 「気をつけてね！雨がすごくて滑りやすいから。」Be careful! It's raining heavily, and it's slippery out there.
- 「危ないから気をつけて、階段が滑りやすいよ。」Be careful because the stairs are slippery.
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a train station platform.
- 大翔 Hiroto電車が来るから、気をつけて。Densha ga kuru kara, ki o tsukete.The train is coming, so be careful.
- 結衣 Yuiわかった、ありがとう。Wakatta, arigatou.I got it, thanks.
- 大翔 Hiroto足元にも気をつけてね。Ashimoto ni mo ki o tsukete ne.Be careful of your step, too.
- 結衣 Yuiうん、気をつけるよ。Un, ki o tsukeru yo.Yeah, I'll be careful.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
