care for
care for — 片語動詞
- care forbase form
- cares for3rd person singular
- caring for-ing form
- cared forpast simple
1. to provide what a person, animal, or thing needs to stay healthy, safe, and well
照顧；看護
提供所需、保護並照料某人
to provide what a person, animal, or thing needs to stay healthy, safe, and well — feeding, sheltering, protecting, or nursing them
Niran cared for his elderly mother after she broke her hip last winter.
Niran 去年冬天在他的老母親髖骨骨折後照顧她。
care for + [person needing help]
The animal shelter cares for over thirty stray cats found near the old port.
動物收容所照顧在舊港口附近發現的三十多隻流浪貓。
care for + [animal in need]
Élise stayed home to care for her daughter, who had a terrible fever.
Élise 待在家裡照顧發高燒的女兒。
Takeshi learned how to care for a bonsai tree from his grandfather.
Takeshi 從祖父那裡學會如何照料盆栽。
Eshe spends every Saturday morning caring for patients at the local hospice.
Eshe 每週六早上都在當地安寧病房照料病人。
- look after
more informal and often suggests shorter-term responsibility
- take care of
broader; can refer to handling tasks or problems, not just people
- tend to
more formal and often used for professional or medical care
文法句型
care for + someone/something
be cared for (passive)
常見錯誤
2. to feel romantic love for someone, with a strong wish to be close to them
愛慕；鍾情
對某人懷有浪漫的愛情
to feel romantic love for someone, with a strong wish to be close to them
Shirin had secretly cared for her childhood friend since they were teenagers.
Shirin 從十幾歲起就偷偷愛慕著她的青梅竹馬。
care for = feel romantic love
Eitan wrote a long letter to the woman he deeply cared for.
Eitan 寫了一封長信給他深愛的那個女人。
Sora realised he still cared for his ex-wife, years after the divorce.
Sora 發現離婚多年後，他仍然愛著前妻。
Kofi left a single rose on the pillow of the flatmate he secretly cared for.
Kofi 在室友的枕頭上放了一支玫瑰，他偷偷愛慕著對方。
- love
stronger and more direct; 'care for' is gentler and less intense
- be fond of
less intense; does not necessarily imply romantic feeling
- adore
much stronger; suggests devotion and admiration
- dislike
feel aversion rather than romantic love
文法句型
care for + someone
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3: this sense is specifically about romantic love between adults. Sense 3 describes warm affection without a romantic element.
常見錯誤
3. to feel warm affection or deep liking for someone — the way you feel about a clo
疼愛；喜愛
對某人懷有溫暖的喜愛之情
to feel warm affection or deep liking for someone — the way you feel about a close friend or a much-loved family member
Liam genuinely cared for his teammates and always cheered them on at matches.
Liam 真心疼愛他的隊友，總是在比賽中為他們加油。
care for = feel affection (not romantic)
Lakshmi cared for her university professor and kept in touch for twenty years.
Lakshmi 疼愛她的大學教授，二十年來一直保持聯繫。
Esteban cared for his old guitar teacher and visited him every week.
Esteban 疼愛他的老吉他老師，每週都去探望他。
Jessica cared for every dog she walked, remembering each one's name.
Jessica 喜愛她遛的每一隻狗，記得住每隻的名字。
The children clearly cared for their new babysitter after just one evening.
孩子們才過了一個晚上就明顯喜愛上了新保母。
- be fond of
very similar in strength but slightly more casual
- like
weaker; 'care for' implies deeper emotional warmth
- have a soft spot for
informal; suggests a special, often hidden affection
- dislike
feel aversion rather than affection
文法句型
care for + someone
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: this sense describes warm affection or strong liking, not romantic love. It is often used for family members, close friends, or pets.