Cuidar de vs. Tomar Conta de: Say ‘Take Care of’ in Portuguese
Cuidar de and tomar conta de both describe looking after someone or something. The preposition de is part of both useful patterns.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Cuidar de can mean taking care of a person, animal, object, or responsibility. It highlights attention and care and also appears in expressions about looking after yourself or maintaining something.
Use cuidar de for care, attention, and maintenance
Remember the preposition: cuidar de alguém or cuidar de alguma coisa. When a definite article follows de, it may contract: de + o becomes do and de + a becomes da.
Ela cuida dos avós aos fins de semana.
She takes care of her grandparents on weekends.
Preciso cuidar da planta enquanto você viaja.
I need to look after the plant while you travel.
É importante cuidar de si mesmo.
It’s important to take care of yourself.
Use tomar conta de to emphasize watching over someone or something
Tomar conta de is another common pattern for looking after a child, pet, place, or task while someone else is away. It often emphasizes responsibility for supervising or keeping an eye on the person or thing.
The expressions can overlap. Choose the one you know, include de, and add a time or reason if the other person needs to know how long the care is needed.
Você pode tomar conta do cachorro hoje à noite?
Can you look after the dog tonight?
Meu irmão tomou conta da loja durante o almoço.
My brother watched the shop during lunch.
Quem vai cuidar das crianças amanhã?
Who will look after the children tomorrow?
Put it into practice
Both patterns are useful: cuidar de highlights care and attention, while tomar conta de often emphasizes supervision or responsibility for a period.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I need to look after the plant while you travel”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.