Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| お大事に | o-daiji ni | [o̞da̠iʑi ɲ̟i] (narrow) |
| 大切にしてください | taisetsu ni shite kudasai | |
| 気をつけて下さい | ki o tsukete kudasai |
お大事に is used specifically when someone is sick or injured to mean 'please take care of yourself (to recover)'.
Which one should you use?
お大事に is reserved for someone dealing with illness or injury. To tell someone to be careful of physical danger or to 'take care' as a general parting phrase, use 気をつけて下さい.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
お大事に is a polite way to address someone ill. You can make this more formal and polite by adding ください to the end, resulting in お大事にしてください. For a more casual or informal way to say 'stay well' or 'take care', you can use 元気でね.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express 'take care of your health' in a more descriptive manner, you can use the phrase お体を大切に.
How do you pronounce it?
o-daiji ni
When do people say it?
When using お大事に, it is specifically directed toward someone's recovery from sickness or an injury.
Did you know?
- In a medical setting, a doctor or nurse will say お大事に to a patient, but the patient will not say it back, as they are the ones who need the care.
- If you use 気をつけて (ki o tsukete) to a friend, you are literally telling them to 'attach' or 'fix' their attention or spirit on something. It is often used to warn someone of a physical slip or a specific danger.
- Using 元気でね as a way to say 'take care' often implies a long separation, making it more similar to 'farewell' than a daily 'goodbye'.
Examples in context
- どうぞお大事に。Take care.This sentence shows a polite way to say 'Take care.' using お大事に.Tatoeba #201342 by bunbuku, translation #20362 by TATAR1
- お体をお大事に。Take care of yourself.This sentence uses お大事に to express 'Take care of yourself.'Tatoeba #226911 by bunbuku, translation #64257 by CK
- くれぐれもお体をお大事に。Please take care of yourself.Tatoeba #225438 by bunbuku, translation #38550 by CK
- お体に気をつけてください。Please take care of your health.
- 体に気をつけてね！Take care of yourself!
- じゃあ、元気でね！Well, take care!
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki is seeing Ren off after he visited her for a check-up at the clinic.
- 美咲 Misaki今日はありがとうございました。Kyō wa arigatō gozaimashita.Thank you for today.
- 蓮 Renこちらこそ、ありがとうございました。Kochira koso, arigatō gozaimashita.Thank you as well.
- 美咲 Misakiお大事に。O-daiji ni.Take care.
- 蓮 Renありがとうございます。失礼します。Arigatō gozaimasu. Shitsurei shimasu.Thank you. Goodbye.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “take care” translations and entries お大事に, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
