Take care! Is this more than a polite goodbye? (2025)

vost said:

When a someone is traveling away for a week and a friend of them tell them take care!, is this just a polite saying to say goodbye or does it mean the speaker really cares about the person who's leaving??

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The degree of care and concern obviously varies from person to person, but I would regard it as a polite wish for somebody's well-being. If, however, the traveler is going to a dangerous place, e.g. climbing Mount Everest, the sentiment obviously takes on a different meaning.

Would Takes care of you! mean the same

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This is a sentence fragment that has no meaning by itself.

Hi Vost,
It can be either a casual farwell or an expression of concern. The way in which it is spoken and in combination with the speaker's facial expression it can convey: 'Please take care'.

Also, 'take care of yourself' sounds to me as though more concern is being expressed than just 'take care'.

Corrected grammar/spelling:
When

someone is travelling away for a week and a friend

says take care!, is this just a polite way of saying

goodbye or does it mean the speaker really cares about the person who's leaving?
Would Takes care of yourself! mean the same?

Take care is a friendly, polite phrase.

The person saying it sincerely cares about your safety (they really do want to see you again safe and sound), but it does not indicate an intimate concern.

Aardvark01 said:

Hi Vost,
It can be either a casual farwell or an expression of concern. The way in which it is spoken and in combination with the speaker's facial expression it can convey: 'Please take care'.

Also, 'take care of yourself' sounds to me as though more concern is being expressed than just 'take care'.

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Would take great care or take great care of yourself make sense?

Aardvark01 said:

Corrected grammar/spelling:
When

a

someone is travelling away for a week and a friend

of them tell them

says take care!, is this just a polite way of saying

to say

goodbye or does it mean the speaker really cares about the person who's leaving?
Would Takes care of yourself! mean the same?

Click to expand...

Thank

JJohnson said:

Take care is a friendly, polite phrase.

The person saying it sincerely cares about your safety (they really do want to see you again safe and sound), but it does not indicate an intimate concern.

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What could I say to say that I care about the safety of the person

indicate an intimate concern?

vost said:

What could I say to say that I care about the safety of the person

and

indicate an intimate concern?

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See post #3.
It can be either a casual farewell or an expression of concern. The way in which it is spoken and in combination with the speaker's facial expression it can convey: 'Please take care'.

panjandrum said:

See post #3.
It can be either a casual farewell or an expression of concern. The way in which it is spoken and in combination with the speaker's facial expression it can convey: 'Please take care'.

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What if the speaker is a writer (this is said in an email ot text)?

vost said:

Would take great care or take great care of yourself make sense?
Thanks

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I could say 'take good care of yourself' but not 'take good/great care.' I don't think I've ever heard 'great care' used in the context of a farewell.

Bear in mind that we are communicating here in writing, so the forms used here can be used in e-mail or text also.

A rough rule here is that more words (in writing) conveys more concern. Thus you can end an informal e-mail:
1. take care
2. take care of yourself
3. take good care of yourself
4. take good care of yourself and see you soon,

regards,
Dave

Squeeze the hand
Kiss the hand (man to woman only)
Kiss the cheek (opposite sex only)

Say "Take care. I can't wait to see you again."
Say "Take care. I couldn't bear it if something happened to [insert favorite]."

You'll think of something.