Translation guide
How to express 'take to heart' in Japanese, covering both positive (cherish advice) and negative (be deeply affected) meanings.
The speaker wants to express that someone should accept and internalize advice, criticism, or a lesson, often with a positive connotation of personal growth.
The speaker wants to express that someone is emotionally impacted, often negatively, by words or events, taking them too personally.
Means 'to mind' or 'to worry about'. In negative contexts, it conveys taking something to heart in a way that causes distress. Often used with あまり (not too much).
心に留める is for consciously remembering and applying advice. 気にする is for emotionally reacting to something, often negatively. Choose based on whether the focus is on learning (positive) or emotional impact (often negative).
アドバイスを心に留める。
Take advice to heart (to remember and use).
批判を気にする。
Take criticism to heart (to be bothered by it).
Do not translate 'take to heart' literally as 心に取る or similar. It will not be understood. Use the phrases provided.
Literally 'keep in one's heart/mind'. This is the most natural and common way to say 'take to heart' in the sense of remembering and heeding advice or words.
先生の言葉を心に留めてください。
Please take your teacher's words to heart.
彼のアドバイスを心に留めておくべきだ。
You should take his advice to heart.
Literally 'engrave on one's liver'. A stronger, more emphatic expression meaning to take something deeply to heart and never forget it. Often used for important lessons or warnings.
この失敗を肝に銘じて、次に生かそう。
I'll take this failure to heart and make use of it next time.
Literally 'carve into one's chest'. Similar to 肝に銘じる, but slightly more poetic. Used for deeply meaningful words or experiences.
父の教えを胸に刻んで生きている。
I live with my father's teachings taken to heart.
彼の冗談をあまり気にしないで。
Don't take his jokes to heart too much.
彼女は批判を気にしすぎる。
She takes criticism too much to heart.
Literally 'take as truth'. Means to take something seriously or at face value, often when it was not meant seriously. Implies being overly sensitive or gullible.
Can imply naivety; use carefully.
彼の言葉を真に受けて落ち込んだ。
I took his words to heart and got depressed.
Literally 'soak into the heart'. Used when words or kindness deeply move someone, often in a positive or poignant way. Can also be used for negative feelings that linger.
彼の優しい言葉が心に染みた。
His kind words really took to heart (moved me deeply).