★care既可作及物动词也可作不及物动词，意为“在乎”“在意”，通常用于否定句、疑问句或条件句中。如：

① vi. They might fail, but they didn’t care. 他们可能会失败，但他们不在乎。
I don’t care if I never see him again. 即便我永远再也见不到他，我也不在乎。

② vt. I’ll go. I don’t care what happens. 不管发生什么，我都要去。
I don’t care whom you will go together with. 我并不介意你要和谁一起去。

★care与for或about连用，意为“关心”“爱护”。care for作“照顾”解时，可用于被动语态。如：

① We should care for/about each other. 我们应该互相关心。

② The children are well cared for in the nursery. 孩子们在托儿所受到很好的照顾。

★care后接动词不定式或介词for/about，意为“喜欢”“愿意”“对……感兴趣”，用于否定句和疑问句中，不可用于被动语态。如：

① He might not care to go. 他也许不想去。

② She didn’t care to be disturbed. 她不愿意被打扰。

③ Rose doesn’t care about money. 罗斯对钱不感兴趣。

④ I don’t care for the place. 我不喜欢这个地方。

★care作名词用时，除了作“关心”“照顾”“忧虑”等解以外，还有“小心”“谨慎”“保护”“管理”“责任”“可忧虑的事（原因）”等。如：

① I retired last year. Now I am a man free from care duty.
我去年退休了。现在我是个无工作之忧的人了。

② Mr James is old, but can not be free from the care of his big family.
詹姆士先生已经老了，但是仍摆脱不了养活一大家子的负担。

③ Our house is under the care of my uncle’s, when we all go abroad.
在我们全家出国期间，我们的房子交由叔叔家照管。

④ This is very fragile. Please handle with care! 这是易碎品。请小心轻放！

⑤ Care has made him look at least six years older than his age.
忧虑使他看上去比实际年龄至少老六岁。

★take care of(＝look after)意为“照料”。如：

The baby must be taken good care of. 这婴儿一定要很好地照料。

★take care of还要作“对付”“应付”解。如：
Don’t worry; I can take care of it. 别担心，我能对付它。

【注】与care相关的词组及复合词：
care of转交往往被缩写为c/o，多用于信封上。

care-taker守门者；管理员 care-worn (因担心、劳苦而)消瘦憔悴的

★care加后缀-ful和-less分别构成形容词careful和careless。careful的意思是“细心的”“谨慎的”；careless的意思主要有“粗心的”“不在乎的”等。如：

① On the whole, he is a careful person. 总的来说，他是个细心的人。

② Be careful with your health. 注意你们的身体健康。

③ That is our careful selection. 那是我们谨慎的选择。

④ No such careless mistake is allowed once more. 如此粗心的错误绝不允许再次发生。

⑤ Being young men, we should be careless of hardship. 作为年轻人,我们不应该怕吃