other N2 common casualpolitewritten
〜に気をつける — to be careful about ~
〜に気をつける ・ にきをつける
Meaning
- to be careful about ~ / pay attention to ~ / watch out for ~ — direct one's caution toward a potential problem
Key sentence
風邪を引かないように体に気をつけてください。
Please take care of your health so you don't catch a cold.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (the thing to watch) + に | Nに気をつける | 車に気をつける / 言葉遣いに気をつける |
Examples
足元に気をつけて。
Watch your step.
食べ過ぎに気をつけている。
I'm being careful not to overeat.
When you can't use it
- The thing you're careful about takes に, not を: ×「足元を気をつける」. 気を (the attention) is already the を-object inside the idiom.
Easily confused with
Notes
- 気をつけて (as a parting phrase) means 'take care / be safe'. The polite imperative is 気をつけてください.
See 〜に気をつける in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜に気をつける the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.