prends soin de toi
informal
To say "take care" in French, you use prends soin de toi. Wiktionary also lists prenez soin de vous.
Meaning: good-bye (intj)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| prends soin de toi | informal |
| prenez soin de vous | formal |
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase prends soin de toi literally translates to "take care of you".
Which one should you use?
prends soin de toi is the informal version used for a single person, while prenez soin de vous is used when addressing either a single person formally or a group of people.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use prends soin de toi with friends, family or peers. Use prenez soin de vous for strangers, superiors or groups. For a different formal expression, you can also use Portez-vous bien.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal form prends soin de toi uses the singular tu form of the verb. The formal form prenez soin de vous uses the vous form, which is used for both formal singular and any plural audience.
Did you know?
- The word soin is inherited from Frankish, a Germanic language, rather than directly from Latin.
- While 'take care' is a common English parting, in French, the phrase prenez soin de vous is quite heavy and might feel more like a sincere wish for health than a casual 'bye'.
Examples in context
- Prends soin de toi.Take care.This sentence shows the use of prends soin de toi.Tatoeba #10904 by sacredceltic, translation #20362 by TATAR1
- Prenez soin de vous.Take care of yourself.This sentence shows the use of prenez soin de vous.Tatoeba #464711 by sacredceltic, translation #64257 by CK
- Prends soin de toi !Take care!Tatoeba #1330216 by sacredceltic, translation #324861 by CK
- Madame Dupont, j'espère que tout ira bien pour vous pendant votre absence. Prenez soin de vous.Mrs. Dupont, I hope everything goes well for you during your absence. Take care of yourself.
- Monsieur Martin, j'espère que votre rétablissement sera rapide. Portez-vous bien.Mr. Martin, I hope you'll recover quickly. Take care.
- Salut Emma, n'oublie pas ton parapluie. Il pleut dehors. Prends soin de toi.Hi Emma, don't forget your umbrella. It's raining outside. Take care.
- Coucou Pierre, amuse-toi bien à la fête. Fais attention à toi.Hey Pierre, have fun at the party. Take care.
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are saying goodbye at the train station.
- ManonBon voyage, Hugo !Have a good trip, Hugo!
- HugoMerci Manon, à bientôt.Thanks Manon, see you soon.
- ManonPrends soin de toi.Take care.
- HugoToi aussi, salut !You too, bye!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “take care” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, soin, toi, vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
