“〜wo ki ni suru・〜wo ki ni kakeru”: Mind (worry about) vs Care About (someone) [JLPT N2]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
「人の評価を気にする」vs「私を気にかけてくれる」 — fretting over something vs caring for someone.
「気にしないで」 vs 「気にかけてくれてありがとう」 — minding vs caring, one word apart
Comforting someone, you say 「気にしないで」 (don't mind it); thanking someone, you say 「いつも気にかけてくれてありがとう」 (thank you for always caring about me) — 「〜を気にする・〜を気にかける」 differ by just 「かける,」 yet differ in feel: 「気にする」 = mind, be bothered by (worrying about something yourself); 「気にかける」 = be concerned about, care for (keeping someone in mind). This guide covers this pair's difference and separates it from 「気になる (mind/be curious)」 (compare 〈気に入る／気になる〉).
Core: 気にする = worry yourself, 気にかける = care for others
These two differ by 「かける,」 pointing in different directions:
- 〜を気にする = mind, be bothered by (worrying about something yourself, often negative): 人の目を気にする (mind others' eyes), 失敗を気にする (be bothered by a failure). It's “bothering yourself, unable to let go of something.”
- 〜を気にかける = be concerned about, care for (keeping someone in mind, positive): いつも私を気にかけてくれる (always cares about me), 子供の将来を気にかける (be concerned about a child's future). It's “keeping in mind, caring about (others),” with warmth.
Feel: “mind (気にする)／care for (気にかける)” — 「気にする」 is worrying about, minding something yourself (mostly negative, self-bother); 「気にかける」 is keeping in mind, caring about (mostly others) (positive, warm concern). One 「かける」 apart, one bothers yourself, one cares for others.
Attachment rules
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| noun ＋ を気にする | mind, be bothered by (worry yourself) | 評価を気にする （worry about the evaluation） |
| 気にしないで | don't mind it, it's okay | 気にしないで |
| noun ＋ を気にかける | be concerned about, care for (keep in mind) | 部下を気にかける （look out for one's subordinates） |
| 〜を気にかけてくれる | (someone) cares about (me) | 気にかけてくれる （they keep me in their thoughts） |
See it in context
- 彼はいつも人の評価を気にしている。(He's always minding others' evaluations.) — mind
- 小さなミスなんて、気にしないでください。(A small mistake — please don't mind it.) — don't mind
- 祖母はいつも私の体調を気にかけてくれる。(Grandmother always cares about my health.) — care for
- 上司が部下一人一人を気にかける。(The boss looks out for each subordinate.) — care for
- 見た目を気にしすぎるのは、よくない。(Minding your looks too much isn't good.) — mind
⚠️ Where learners slip up
① 「気にする」 = mind/worry yourself, 「気にかける」 = care for others. This is the key difference. One 「かける」 apart, different directions. 「〜を気にする」 = mind, be bothered by (bothering yourself about something, unable to let go): the subject worries about, dwells on, can't let go of something, often with a negative, self-bothering feel: 人の目を気にする (mind others' eyes — bothering yourself), 失敗を気にする (be bothered by failure), 細かいことを気にする性格 (a fussy personality). 「〜を気にかける」 = be concerned about, care for (keeping in mind, mostly others): the subject keeps in mind, cares about (others), with positive, warm concern: 先生が生徒を気にかける (the teacher cares about students), いつも気にかけてくれてありがとう (thank you for always caring about me). Difference: 「気にする」 is “(yourself) worrying about, minding something” (mostly negative); 「気にかける」 is “(toward others) keeping in mind, caring” (positive, warm). Test: to say “mind, be bothered by something yourself (worry)” → 気にする; to say “care about, keep in mind (others)” → 気にかける.
② 「気にしないで」 = don't mind it, a very common comforting phrase. 「気にする」 has a very common negative form 「気にしないで（ください）」 = “don't mind it, it's okay, don't dwell on it,” used to comfort someone, tell them not to mind: (when someone apologizes) 「気にしないで、大丈夫だよ (don't mind it, it's fine)」, (when someone slips up) 「小さなミスだから、気にしないで (it's a small mistake, don't dwell on it).」 It's an all-purpose everyday phrase for comforting, reassuring someone, equal to “don't mind, it's okay, don't take it to heart.” By contrast, 「気にかける」 lacks this “don't ～” comforting use. So to tell someone “don't mind, don't take it to heart,” use 「気にしないで.」
③ 「気にする」 vs 「気になる」: actively minding vs naturally minding/being curious. These two are also easily confused (compare 〈気になる〉). 「〜を気にする」 = (actively) mind, be bothered by (worrying about something yourself, with 「を」): 人の目を気にする (mind others' eyes — actively minding). 「〜が気になる」 = (naturally) mind, be curious, weigh on the mind (something naturally draws attention, with 「が」): 試験の結果が気になる (mind the exam result — naturally weighing), あの音が気になる (that sound bothers me). Difference: 「気にする」 is actively worrying about, minding something (with will, with を, often negative); 「気になる」 is something naturally drawing your attention/curiosity/concern (without will, with が). Test: the subject actively minds (を) → 気にする; something naturally draws attention (が) → 気になる. E.g. 「失敗を気にする (be bothered by failure — worrying yourself)」 uses 気にする; 「結果が気になる (mind the result — naturally weighing)」 uses 気になる. (「気に入る = take a liking to」 is yet another, see 〈気に入る／気になる〉.)
🔄 Compare: 気にする／気にかける／気になる／気を遣う
| Form | Feel | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜を気にする | mind, be bothered by (worry yourself, often negative) | 人の目を気にする （care about what others think） |
| 〜を気にかける | be concerned about, care for (keep others in mind, positive) | 部下を気にかける （look out for one's subordinates） |
| 〜が気になる | (naturally) mind, be curious, weigh on the mind | 結果が気になる （the result is on my mind） |
| 〜に気を遣う | be considerate toward ～, take pains | 相手に気を遣う |
💡 The one thing to remember
「〜を気にする・を気にかける」 differ by just 「かける」 but point in different directions — three points: ① 「気にする」 = mind/worry yourself (人の目を気にする = mind others' eyes, often negative, self-bothering); ② 「気にかける」 = care for, keep others in mind (気にかけてくれてありがとう = thank you for caring, positive, warm); ③ 「気にしないで」 = don't mind it (a very common comforting phrase). And separate it from 「気になる」 — 気にする is actively minding (を, often negative), 気になる is something naturally drawing your attention/curiosity (が). This 「気に〜」 family is easily confused; remember it alongside 〈気に入る／気になる〉: 気にする (mind yourself), 気にかける (care for others), 気になる (naturally weigh), 気に入る (take a liking) — four 「気に」s, each with its own meaning.
❓ Quick FAQ
Q: 「気にする」 and 「気にかける」 differ by just 「かける」 — do they mean the same?
No, different directions. 「〜を気にする」 = mind, be bothered by (worrying about something yourself, often negative): the subject yourself worries about, dwells on, can't let go of something, mostly with a (somewhat negative) sense of “being bothered, fussing, unable to let go”: 彼は失敗を気にして落ち込んでいる (he's down, bothered by his failure), 人の目を気にしすぎる (mind others' eyes too much), そんな小さなことを気にするな (don't fuss over such small things). It's “(yourself) worrying about, minding something.” 「〜を気にかける」 = be concerned about, care for (keeping in mind, mostly others): the subject keeps in mind, cares about (others), with positive, warm concern: 先輩がいつも私を気にかけてくれる (my senior always cares about me), 親は子供のことを気にかけるものだ (parents always keep their children in mind), 体調を崩した同僚を気にかける (care about a sick colleague). It's “(toward others) keeping in mind, caring.” The difference is clear: 「気にする」 is worrying about, minding something yourself (mostly negative, directed at a matter); 「気にかける」 is caring about, keeping others in mind (positive, warm, directed at people). Test: to say “(yourself) mind, be bothered by, fuss over something” → 気にする; to say “care about, keep in mind, be concerned for (someone)” → 気にかける. E.g. 「評価を気にする (mind evaluations — worrying yourself)」 and 「部下を気にかける (look out for subordinates — caring for others)」 mean entirely different things. One is self-bother, one is warm concern — don't mix them over just 「かける.」
Q: How do I tell 「気にする」 and 「気になる」 apart? Both are ‘minding'?
Both relate to “minding,” but differ in active/passive, particle, feel (compare 〈気になる〉). 「〜を気にする」 = (actively) mind, be bothered by (you worrying about something, with 「を」): the subject actively puts something on their mind, worries about it, fusses over it, with will, often negative: 人の評価を気にする (mind others' evaluations — actively minding), 失敗を気にする (be bothered by failure), 体重を気にしている (mind your weight). It's “(I) (actively) mind something.” 「〜が気になる」 = (naturally) mind, be curious, weigh on the mind (something naturally draws your attention, with 「が」): something naturally draws your attention, weighs on you, or makes you curious, without will: 試験の結果が気になる (mind the exam result — naturally weighing), 隣の話し声が気になる (the voices next door bother me), あの人のことが気になる (mind that person — curious or fond). It's “something (naturally) draws my minding.” Difference: 「気にする」 is actively minding (を, with will, often negative, fussing); 「気になる」 is something naturally drawing your minding/curiosity (が, without will, neutral). Test: the subject actively minds, fusses (を) → 気にする; something naturally draws your attention/curiosity/concern (が) → 気になる. E.g. 「細かいことを気にする (fuss over small things — actively minding)」 uses 気にする; 「結果が気になって眠れない (can't sleep, minding the result — naturally weighing)」 uses 気になる. One is active fussing, one is natural weighing, and the particle (を vs が) differs too. (Also, 「気に入る = take a liking to」 is a third of the same family, see 〈気に入る／気になる〉.)
🖊️ Practice Questions (5)
Q1. 「そんな小さなこと、___な。」(Don't worry about it)
(A) 気にする (B) 気になる (C) 気がする (D) 気をつける
Q2. 「気にする」と「気にかける」の違いは?
(A) 気にする＝mind it / worry oneself;気にかける＝care about others
(B) The two are exactly the same
(C) 気にする＝care about others
(D) 気にかける＝worry oneself
Q3. 「私のことを気にかけてくれる」の意味は?
(A) (The other person) cares about and worries for me
(B) The other person dislikes me
(C) I am troubled
(D) I don't care
Q4. 「気にする」と「気になる」の違いは?
(A) 気にする＝transitive (actively minding);気になる＝intransitive (involuntarily bothered)
(B) The two are exactly the same
(C) 気にする＝intransitive
(D) 気になる＝transitive
Q5. 用法が自然なのは?
(A) 人の評価を気にする。 (B) 結果を気になる(intransitive takes が)。
(C) 健康が気にかける(が is more natural here)。 (D) 気にするだ高い。
Answer Explanations
1. (A) 気にする ── Don't worry about it (気にするな).
2. (A) ── 気にする: worry oneself; 気にかける: care about others.
3. (A) ── The other person cares about and worries for me.
4. (A) ── 気にする: transitive; 気になる: intransitive.
5. (A) ── 「評価を気にする」 is correct.