Meaning & use
take care of yourself
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformal
A friendly way of saying goodbye that shows you hope the other person stays well and safe.
Grammar: Spoken as an imperative at the end of a chat: Take care of yourself!
Bye, then, and take care of yourself.
See you in the spring, and take care of yourself until then.
Take care of yourself, and call me if you need anything.
phrasefixed phrase
To look after your own health and well-being, by eating well, resting and avoiding unnecessary danger.
Grammar: Yourself changes with the subject: I take care of myself, she takes care of herself.
Patterns
- take care of yourself by doing something
- learn to take care of yourself
You must take care of yourself while you are studying so hard.
He moved out and learned to take care of himself.
The doctor told her to take care of herself and rest for a week.
Word forms
| third person singular | takes care of himself or herself |
|---|---|
| past tense | took care of yourself |
| -ing form | taking care of yourself |
Common combinations
- learn to take care of yourself
- Children need to learn to take care of themselves gradually.
- able to take care of yourself
- She is old enough to take care of herself.
- remember to take care of yourself
- Remember to take care of yourself during exam week.
- take care of yourself first
- You cannot help others unless you take care of yourself first.
Synonyms and how they differ
- look after yourself
- Look after yourself means almost the same and is slightly more British in feel.
- stay safe
- Stay safe focuses on avoiding danger, while take care of yourself also covers health and rest.
- mind yourself
- Mind yourself is common in Irish English as a warm goodbye and is less widely used elsewhere.
- fend for yourself
- Fend for yourself stresses managing alone without help, not caring about your health.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: take care of yourself or take care?
take care of yourself vs take care
Take care alone is a shorter goodbye, while take care of yourself is warmer and more specific about the other person's well-being.
Practice
Saying goodbye to a friend who has had the flu, you might add, "Rest well and ______."
Choose one answer.
Take care of yourself is the fixed phrase wishing someone good health. The other options use real phrasal verbs but have different meanings, so they are not goodbyes.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “take care of yourself”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.