Which one should you use?
While cuidar de ti is the default for a single person in an informal context, you would use cuidar de usted to be formal or respectful toward a single person.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the informal plural form for 'take care of you' is cuidar de vosotros. In Latin America, cuidar de ustedes is used for both formal and informal plural 'you'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase cuidar de ti uses the informal singular pronoun 'ti'. To change the meaning to 'take care of me', replace 'ti' with 'mí' to get cuidar de mí. You can also express the idea of 'to take care of you' as a single verb by attaching the object pronoun directly to the infinitive, resulting in cuidarte. Additionally, the phrase Ten cuidado is used informally to mean 'be careful'.
How do you pronounce it?
/kwidaɾ de ti/
Did you know?
- The verb cuidar is a linguistic sibling to the English word 'cogitate'. Both words trace their ancestry back to the Latin verb cogitāre, which meant 'to think'.
- Spanish speakers often use cuidarse as a parting wish, similar to 'take care' in English. However, it is a reflexive verb, meaning the person is literally telling the other to 'care for oneself'.
- While cuidar de ti is a standard translation, in many Spanish-speaking cultures, the phrase estoy pendiente de ti is used to express a more watchful, attentive kind of care.
Examples in context
- Estimado Sr. García, cuídese mucho durante su viaje.Dear Mr. García, take care of yourself during your trip.
- Estimados colegas, cuídense y sigamos trabajando en pro de nuestros objetivos.Dear colleagues, take care of yourselves and let's continue working towards our goals.
- Espero que se encuentre bien, Sra. Rodríguez. Procure cuidarse y descansar lo suficiente.I hope you are well, Mrs. Rodríguez. Please take care of yourself and get enough rest.
- ¡Hasta luego, hermano! Cuídate mucho.See you later, brother! Take care of yourself.
- Diviértanse en la fiesta, cuídense, chicos.Have fun at the party, take care of yourselves, guys.
- Prometo cuidar de ti siempre.I promise to take care of you always.
Example conversation
Elena is comforting Daniel after he had a long day at work.
- ElenaEstás muy cansado, Daniel.You are very tired, Daniel.
- DanielSí, ha sido un día difícil.Yes, it has been a difficult day.
- ElenaDescansa, yo voy a cuidar de ti.Rest, I am going to take care of you.
- DanielGracias, Elena, eres muy amable.Thank you, Elena, you are very kind.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuidar, de, ti, CC BY-SA 4.0.
