Tomar Cuidado: How to Say ‘Be Careful’ in Portuguese — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Use tomar cuidado to advise caution
Tomar cuidado means to be careful or take care. It can be a warning, a piece of advice, or a description of how someone acts. In conversation, cuidado! by itself is a quick warning.
Use com before a thing or risk: tomar cuidado com o degrau (be careful with the step). Use para não + infinitive to name what you want to avoid: tomar cuidado para não esquecer (be careful not to forget).
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Tome cuidado com o chão molhado. | Be careful with the wet floor. |
| Toma cuidado para não perder o horário. | Be careful not to miss the time. |
| Vou tomar cuidado ao atravessar a rua. | I’ll be careful when crossing the street. |
Choose an imperative that fits your relationship
Tome cuidado is a polite or formal singular command; toma cuidado is a common informal form in Brazilian speech. Cuidem-se can address a group informally in some varieties, while tenham cuidado is a clear option for several people.
The command can sound caring or serious depending on context. Add a brief reason when the risk is not obvious, and use cuidado! for a fast warning.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Cuidado! Tem um degrau aqui. | Careful! There’s a step here. |
| Tenham cuidado na volta para casa. | Be careful on the way home. |
| Por favor, tome cuidado com os cabos. | Please be careful with the cables. |
Remember: Use tomar cuidado com + noun or para não + infinitive; choose a command form that fits your relationship with the listener.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
Be careful with the wet floor.
Show a Portuguese answer
Tome cuidado com o chão molhado.
Be careful not to miss the time.
Show a Portuguese answer
Toma cuidado para não perder o horário.
I’ll be careful when crossing the street.
Show a Portuguese answer
Vou tomar cuidado ao atravessar a rua.
Careful! There’s a step here.
Show a Portuguese answer
Cuidado! Tem um degrau aqui.
Be careful on the way home.
Show a Portuguese answer
Tenham cuidado na volta para casa.
Please be careful with the cables.
Show a Portuguese answer
Por favor, tome cuidado com os cabos.
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
Use tomar cuidado com + noun or para não + infinitive; choose a command form that fits your relationship with the listener.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Tomar Cuidado: How to Say ‘Be Careful’ in Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
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