verb HSK 4
to care about · to mind · to take to heart
Meaning
在乎 expresses the idea of caring about something or someone emotionally, or being concerned with whether something matters. It emphasizes psychological investment or attention given to a person, outcome, or opinion.
Usage
Commonly used in both positive contexts (caring about loved ones) and negative contexts (not caring about criticism). Often appears in the pattern '在乎 + noun/clause' or in questions like '你在乎吗？' (Do you care?). Frequently used with negation: 不在乎 (to not care about).
Examples
- 01我真的很在乎你的感受。.I really care about your feelings.
- 02他不在乎别人怎么说。.He doesn't care what others say.
Characters
Common collocations
- 不在乎to not care about
- 很在乎to care a lot about
- 在乎别人的看法to care about others' opinions
Antonyms
Origin
乎 is a classical Chinese particle expressing doubt or concern. Combined with 在, the phrase literally suggests 'existence in concern,' evolving to mean caring about something.