世話をする
sewaosuru
To take care of in Japanese is 世話をする (sewaosuru).
世話をする is used when describing the act of providing physical care or looking after the needs of others, such as children, the elderly or pets.
Meaning: look after (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun 世話, which means care, help or assistance and the verb する, meaning to do.
Which one should you use?
Do not confuse 世話をする (to look after someone) with 気を付ける (to be careful or watch out for danger).
How do you pronounce it?
sewaosuru
Did you know?
- In a business context, you might hear お世話になっております (osewa ni natte orimasu). Though it contains the word for 'care', it is a standard greeting used to say 'Thank you for your continued support' or 'Thank you for your patronage'.
- The word 世話 is often paired with the verb 焼く (yaku, to bake/burn) in the expression 世話を焼く (sewa o yaku). This idiom means to go out of one's way to help someone, often to an excessive degree.
- The word 世話 (sewa) comes from roots meaning 'help' and 'trouble'. To provide care in Japanese is linguistically linked to the idea of taking on someone else's burdens or troubles.
Examples in context
- トムの世話をする。I take care of Tom.This sentence shows how to use 世話をする to state who you are looking after.Tatoeba #8647355 by small_snow, translation #3330078 by CK
- おじいさんの世話をする。I take care of my grandfather.This sentence shows how to use 世話をする in the context of looking after an elderly person.Tatoeba #227744 by small_snow, translation #65097 by CK
- けど、誰が子供の世話をするんだ？But who will take care of the kids?This sentence uses 世話をする to ask a question about who will be providing care.Tatoeba #11529755 by small_snow, translation #10314921 by DJ_Saidez
- お世話になりました。Thank you for taking care of me.
- 気をつけてね。Take care.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are discussing their weekend plans.
- 美咲 Misaki今週末、猫の世話をする予定だよ。Konshuumatsu, neko no sewa o suru yotei da yo.I plan to take care of my cat this weekend.
- 大翔 Hiroto大変そうだね。僕も手伝おうか？Taihen sou da ne. Boku mo tetsudaou ka?That sounds like a lot of work. Shall I help you?
- 美咲 Misakiありがとう。でも、一人で大丈夫だよ。Arigatou. Demo, hitori de daijoubu da yo.Thanks. But I'll be fine on my own.
- 大翔 Hirotoわかった。無理しないでね。Wakatta. Muri shinaide ne.Got it. Don't overdo it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 世話をする, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
