How to Say “To Care For” in Spanish

At first, learning Spanish can be hard, but once you know a few key phrases, you’ll be able to have a conversation in no time. People who speak English often want to know how to say “to care for” in Spanish. This phrase can mean a lot of different things, from wanting the best for someone to liking or agreeing with something. Here is a complete list of all the different ways to translate “to care for.”

The Many Meanings of “To Care For”

In English “to care for” is a phrase with multiple meanings depending on the context

• To take care of, provide care or assistance – “John cares for his elderly mother.”

• To feel affection for someone – “I still care for my ex-wife as a friend”

• To have a preference for something – “I don’t care for loud music.”

• To look after or supervise someone – “The babysitter cared for the kids.”

Spanish has different ways to express each of these meanings. Let’s look at them one by one.

Caring For Someone’s Wellbeing

In Spanish, you can say the following to show that you care about someone’s health, well-being, or needs:

• Cuidar a – “Ella cuida a su madre enferma” (She cares for her sick mother)

• Cuidar de – “Él cuida de sus hijos” (He cares for his children)

• Ocuparse de – “Me ocupo de mi padre anciano” (I care for my elderly father)

• Encargarse de – “Se encarga de su hermano discapacitado” (She cares for her disabled brother)

Feeling Affection for Someone

The emotional sense of caring for someone is expressed differently in Spanish:

• Querer a – “Todavía quiero a mi ex esposa” (I still care for my ex-wife)

• “Le tiene mucho cariño a su nieta” means “She cares a lot about her granddaughter.”

• Importar – “Me importas mucho” (I care for you greatly)

Caring For in a Romantic Sense

Specifically for romantic feelings, you can say:

• Querer a – “Raquel quiere a Pablo” (Raquel cares for Pablo)

• Gustar de – “Me gusta de Pedro” (I care for Pedro)

• Sentir algo por – “Él siente algo por ella” (He cares for her)

Liking Something

When you want to express liking something, Spanish uses:

• Querer – “Quiero la playa” (I care for the beach)

• Preferir – “Prefiero el vino tinto” (I care more for red wine)

• Importar – “Me importa la música latina” (I care for Latin music)

Disliking Something

To convey disliking something, common options are:

• No gustar – “No me gustan las verduras” (I don’t care for vegetables)

• No atraer – “Los deportes no me atraen” (I don’t care for sports)

• No importar – “No me importa la política” (I don’t care for politics)

Taking Care of Something

When referring to caring for or looking after something, use:

• Cuidar – “Cuido mi jardín con esmero” (I carefully care for my garden)

• Atender – “Los meseros atienden las mesas” (The waiters care for the tables)

• Encargarse de – “Me encargo de la casa cuando mis padres viajan” (I care for the house when my parents travel)

There are different ways to say “to care for” in Spanish, depending on what you want to say. You can show that you care about people, things, and vague ideas with this vocabulary. You can use these examples the next time you need to say “take care of” in Spanish!