prendersi cura

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “to take (by oneself) care”.

Verb

prèndersi cura (first-person singular present mi prèndo cura, first-person singular past historic mi prési cura, past participle préso cura)

1. (intransitive) to take care (of); to look after [+ di (object)]
   • 2020, Barack Obama, translated by Chicca Galli, Paolo Lucca, and Giuseppe Maugeri, Una terra promessa [A Promised Land], Garzanti Libri:

     All'indomani di questa grave perdita, i colleghi e i fratelli avevano dovuto convincerlo a desistere dal suo proposito di abbandonare il Senato, ma lui aveva organizzato la propria agenda in modo da sobbarcarsi ogni giorno un'ora e mezza di treno fra il Delaware e Washington per potersi prendere cura dei suoi ragazzi, un'abitudine che si sarebbe protratta per i tre decenni successivi.

     The day after this grave loss, his colleagues and brothers had had to convince him to desist from his intention to leave the Senate, but he had organized his agenda so as to take it upon himself every day to travel one and a half hours by train between Delaware and Washington to be able to take care of his children, a habit that would go on for the next three decades.