心に留めておく
kokoro ni tomete oku
The English phrase 'keep in mind' is translated into Japanese as 心に留めておく (kokoro ni tomete oku).
心に留めておく is used when you want someone to remember a specific piece of advice, a warning or a crucial detail for future use.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally means 'to leave (something) in the heart/mind and keep it there'.
Which one should you use?
While 心に留めておく is more nuanced and implies keeping a sentiment or an important detail in one's heart, 覚えておく is a more common, general way to say 'to remember' or 'to keep in mind' for factual information. For a more direct request to be conscious of something, you can use 意識しておいてください in formal settings or 意識しておいてよ informally.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai dialect, 覚えといてや is used to express 'keep in mind'.
How do you pronounce it?
kokoro ni tomete oku
Did you know?
- The verb 留める (tomeru) in this phrase doesn't just mean 'to keep', it specifically means 'to fix' or 'to fasten' something in place, as if you were pinning a note to a board.
- The auxiliary verb おく (oku) in 留めておく functions like a physical storage, implying that you are setting the information aside in a safe place for later use.
- The word 心 ('heart') is used in 心に留めておく because in Japanese culture the heart is often viewed as the seat of both emotion and intellect.
Examples in context
- そのアドバイスを心に留めておく。Sono adobaisu o kokoro ni todomete oku.I will keep that advice in mind.
- 失敗を教訓として心に留めておくべきだ。Shippai o kyokun to shite kokoro ni todomete oku beki da.You should keep the failure in mind as a lesson.
- お客様のご要望を常に心に留めておく。Okyakusama no goyoubou o tsune ni kokoro ni todomete oku.Always keep the customers' requests in mind.
