Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cuidado | /kwiˈdado/ | masculine |
| cautela | /kauˈtela/ | feminine |
| caución | /kauˈθjon/ /kauˈsjon/ |
feminine |
The term is used to denote careful attention or prudence. As an interjection, ¡Cuidado! is frequently used to warn someone of immediate danger, functioning like "Watch out!" or "Look out!" in English. If you want to express the verb 'to warn', you can use advertir.
Which one should you use?
cuidado is the most common way to express caution or care in everyday situations. In contrast, cautela is used to describe a more formal or strategic sense of caution, such as exercising prudence in a delicate situation. Finally, caución is a legal term specifically referring to a legal caution, such as a bail or a financial guarantee.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'carefully' or 'with caution,' Spanish speakers use the prepositional phrase con cuidado.
How do you pronounce it?
/kwiˈdado/
Did you know?
- In the Philippines, cuidado can be used to mean 'up to you' or 'it is your responsibility', mirroring the Tagalog phrase bahala ka.
- The word cuidado is used in the common expression ten cuidado, which literally translates to 'have care' rather than 'be careful'.
- While English speakers use 'caution' to mean 'care', the Spanish word cuidado can also mean 'care' in the sense of 'looking after' someone, such as 'el cuidado de los niños' or 'the care of children'.
Examples in context
- Cuidado.Caution.This example shows the use of cuidado as an interjection to warn someone.Tatoeba #5769231 by arh, translation #5101021 by danepo
- Id con cuidado.Go with caution.This example uses the phrase con cuidado to mean 'with caution'.Tatoeba #7263727 by arh, translation #10148141 by Ricardo14
- Úsalo con cuidado.Use it with caution.Tatoeba #3352074 by cueyayotl, translation #3380361 by corvard
- Tenga cuidado al cruzar la calle.Be careful when crossing the street.
- Por favor, procure estar atenta a su entorno.Please be attentive to your surroundings.
- Tome precauciones antes de viajar en el clima actual.Take precautions before traveling in the current weather.
- Ten cuidado con ese perro, puede morder.Be careful with that dog, it may bite.
- Anda con ojo en esa fiesta, hay personas que no conocemos.Watch out at that party, there are people we don't know.
- No te metas en problemas con ese juego, es peligroso.Don't get into trouble with that game, it's dangerous.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are walking near a construction site.
- LucíaTen mucho cuidado con ese escalón.Be very careful with that step.
- JavierGracias, Lucía, no lo vi.Thanks, Lucía, I didn't see it.
- LucíaHay que caminar con cuidado por aquí.One must walk with care around here.
- JavierTienes razón, el suelo está resbaladizo.You are right, the floor is slippery.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “caution” translations and entries cuidado, cautela, caución, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caución, cautela, cuidado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
