take care
/teɪk ker/
Meaning
A warm and polite way to say goodbye, showing that you care about the other person's safety and well-being. It is often used at the end of a conversation, in emails, or when parting with someone you might not see for a while.
Examples
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It was wonderful catching up with you, take care!
It was wonderful catching up with you, take care!
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Take care on your drive home; the roads are very wet.
Take care on your drive home; the roads are very wet.
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I hope you feel better soon. Take care!
I hope you feel better soon. Take care!
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Goodbye, take care, and write to me when you arrive.
Goodbye, take care, and write to me when you arrive.
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She signed off her email with a friendly 'Take care, David'.
She signed off her email with a friendly 'Take care, David'.
Common Mistakes
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✗ Take care yourself.
✓ Take care of yourself.
If you include 'yourself', you must use the preposition 'of'. Otherwise, simply say 'take care'.
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✗ I need to take care my health.
✓ I need to take care of my health.
When 'take care' is used as a transitive verb phrase meaning to look after someone or something, it must be followed by 'of'.
Related Expressions
Practice
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Have a safe flight to New York, ___!
💡 A warm way to say goodbye wishing someone safety.
Show answer
take care
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It's getting late and I should go. ___, okay?
💡 A friendly parting phrase.
Show answer
Take care