vs 

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"Take care of" is a transitive verb phrase which is often translated as "encargarse de", and "care for" is a transitive verb phrase which is often translated as "cuidar a". Learn more about the difference between "take care of" and "care for" below.
take care of(
teyk
 
kehr
 
uhv
)
A transitive verb phrase is a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and requires a direct object (e.g., take out the trash.).
transitive verb phrase
a. encargarse de
Can you take care of preparing the room for our meeting?¿Te puedes encargar de preparar la sala para nuestra reunión?
b. ocuparse de
You need to take care of that ticket before you have more trouble.Debes ocuparte de esa infracción antes de tener más problemas.
a. cuidar
My parents take care of the kids on Saturday afternoons.Mis padres cuidan a mis hijos los sábados por la tarde.
b. cuidar de
The doctor decided my grandfather was no longer able to take care of himself.El médico decidió que mi abuelo ya no podía cuidar de sí mismo.
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care for(
kehr
 
for
)
A transitive verb phrase is a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and requires a direct object (e.g., take out the trash.).
transitive verb phrase
a. cuidar a
Luis cares for his patients in the hospital.Luis cuida a sus pacientes en el hospital.
b. ocuparse de
Lucy cares for an elderly neighbor twice a week.Lucy se ocupa de una vecina anciana dos ves por semana.
c. encargarse de
John cares for the garden in his free time.John se encarga del jardín en su tiempo libre.
a. querer
You should never ignore someone who cares for you.Nunca debes ignorar a una persona que te quiere.
b. sentir cariño por
Fernando told Marina that he cares for her.Fernando le dijo a Marina que siente cariño por ella.
c. sentir afecto por
She truly seems to care for him.Realmente parece sentir afecto por él.
a. querer
Do you care for anything to eat before you go to bed?¿Quieres comer algo antes de acostarte?
b.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
Would you care for a drink with your meal?¿Te gustaría una bebida con la comida?
Would you care for a sandwich?¿Te apetece un sándwich?
a.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
I don't care for modern art.El arte moderno no me gusta.
Mary did not care for the idea of spending a whole afternoon with her mother-in-law.A Mary no le hacía ninguna gracia la idea de pasar toda una tarde con su suegra.
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