cuídate
/kwidate/from spelling rules
In Spanish, stay safe is expressed as cuídate.
The most natural way to express the sentiment of "stay safe" when saying goodbye in Spanish is to use cuídate.
What does it mean word for word?
The word cuídate is a combination of the reflexive verb cuidar (to care for) and the pronoun te (yourself).
Which one should you use?
While cuídate is used with friends and family, the polite form cuídese is used with strangers or elders. For a formal way to say "stay safe", you can use Manténgase seguro/a.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, it is common to say Que estés bien to mean "be well."
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are saying "stay safe" to a group of people, you use the plural form cuídense instead of cuídate. An informal phrase that can be translated as "take care of yourself" is Que te cuides.
How do you pronounce it?
/kwidate/
Did you know?
- The verb cuidar is the root of the word cuidadoso, which means 'careful' and is a cognate of the English word 'custodian' via the Latin 'custodire'.
- If you want to wish someone a 'safe trip' specifically, you would rarely use cuídate. Instead, travelers often use buen viaje or ve con cuidado, which translates more to 'go with care'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if someone says cuídate to you, it is common to respond with igualmente or 'likewise' to return the sentiment.
Examples in context
- ¡Adiós, cuídate mucho!Goodbye, take care of yourself a lot!
- Cuídate mucho en tu viaje.Take good care of yourself on your trip.
- Ya me voy, cuídate.I'm leaving now, stay safe.
- Cuídate mucho, nos vemos mañana.Take care, see you tomorrow.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are saying goodbye after a coffee date.
- MateoBueno, tengo que irme ya.Well, I have to go now.
- LucíaVale, cuídate mucho, Mateo.Okay, take care, Mateo.
- MateoGracias, tú también cuídate, Lucía.Thanks, you too, take care, Lucía.
- Lucía¡Hasta pronto!See you soon!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cuídate, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
