Sich um Dinge kümmern: 'Look after'
Look after bedeutet, Verantwortung für die Fürsorge oder Aufsicht über jemanden oder etwas zu übernehmen.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'look after' to describe being responsible for the well-being of people, animals, or objects over a period of time.
- Always keep 'look' and 'after' together; never put the object in between them (e.g., 'look after him').
- Conjugate the verb 'look' normally for tense (looked, looking, looks) while 'after' remains unchanged.
- Use it for both temporary tasks (babysitting) and permanent responsibilities (owning a house).
Overview
look after my bags for a minute?“ Dieser einfache Satz ist dein bester Freund, wenn du jemanden brauchst, der auf deine Sachen, dein Haustier oder sogar deinen kleinen Bruder aufpasst.look after ist ein fester Bestandteil des englischen Alltags. Im Kern bedeutet es „sich kümmern um“ oder „verantwortlich sein für“ jemanden oder etwas. Ob beim Babysitten oder beim Moderieren eines Discord-Servers – du bist looking after etwas.look for), anstatt auf sie aufzupassen (look after), und glaub mir, die Katze wird nicht amüsiert sein!
Formation Pattern
look (ändert sich je nach Zeitform).
after (bleibt immer gleich).
How This Grammar Works
look) verbindet sich mit einer Präposition (after) zu einer neuen Bedeutung. Im Gegensatz zu trennbaren Verben ist look after untrennbar. Du kannst nicht sagen „look my dog after“.
Common Mistakes
look for (suchen). Wenn du deinem Chef sagst, dass du das Projekt „suchst“ (look for), heißt das, du hast es verloren. Wenn du sagst, du „passt darauf auf“ (look after), ist es in guten Händen.Contrast With Similar Patterns
look after und take care of sind wie Zwillinge. take care of ist im amerikanischen Englisch häufiger, während look after im britischen Englisch sehr verbreitet ist.Quick FAQ
F: Kann ich es für meine Gesundheit verwenden? A: Ja, „look after my health“ ist sehr gebräuchlich.
2. Negative Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
do not look after
|
don't look after
|
I don't look after cats.
|
|
does not look after
|
doesn't look after
|
He doesn't look after his car.
|
|
did not look after
|
didn't look after
|
We didn't look after the plants.
|
|
is not looking after
|
isn't looking after
|
She isn't looking after the baby.
|
Conjugating 'Look After'
| Tense | Subject | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
I / You / We / They
|
look after
|
I look after the dog.
|
|
Present Simple
|
He / She / It
|
looks after
|
She looks after the dog.
|
|
Past Simple
|
All subjects
|
looked after
|
We looked after the dog.
|
|
Present Continuous
|
I
|
am looking after
|
I am looking after the dog.
|
|
Present Continuous
|
He / She / It
|
is looking after
|
He is looking after the dog.
|
|
Present Perfect
|
I / You / We / They
|
have looked after
|
They have looked after the dog.
|
|
Future (Will)
|
All subjects
|
will look after
|
I will look after the dog.
|
|
Gerund
|
N/A
|
looking after
|
Looking after a dog is hard work.
|
Meanings
To take care of someone or something by ensuring they have what they need, remain safe, or stay in good condition.
Physical Care
Providing for the basic needs of a living being, like a child or a pet.
“She looks after her younger brother every afternoon.”
“Who is going to look after the dog while we are at work?”
Maintenance/Protection
Ensuring that property or objects do not get damaged or lost.
“Please look after my luggage for a minute while I buy a ticket.”
“You should look after your phone; it was very expensive.”
Responsibility/Management
Being in charge of a task, a department, or a business interest.
“My assistant looks after all my travel arrangements.”
“The finance department looks after the company's taxes.”
Reference Table
| Phrasalverb | Bedeutung | Verwendungskontext | Beispiel |
|---|---|---|---|
|
`look after`
|
Sich kümmern/beaufsichtigen
|
Personen, Tiere, Objekte
|
Can you `look after` my dog?
|
|
`take care of`
|
Sich kümmern, sich um etwas kümmern
|
Ähnlich wie `look after`, auch Probleme
|
I'll `take care of` the arrangements.
|
|
`care for`
|
Sich kümmern (formeller), Zuneigung empfinden
|
Personen (oft ältere), oder emotionale Bindungen
|
She `cares for` her ailing mother.
|
|
`mind`
|
Kurz aufpassen (BE), etwas dagegen haben
|
Kurze Aufsicht von Gegenständen, oder Abneigung ausdrücken
|
Do you `mind` my bag for a minute?
|
Formalitätsspektrum
I am responsible for the oversight and well-being of the children. (childcare)
I am looking after the children today. (childcare)
I'm watching the kids. (childcare)
I'm on kid-duty. (childcare)
Die Welt von 'Look After'
Objekte
- Phone My friend looks after my phone.
- House Can you look after the house?
- Luggage Please look after my luggage.
Personen
- Children She looks after her children.
- Elderly Nurses look after patients.
- Yourself Remember to look after yourself.
Tiere
- Dog Who's looking after the dog?
- Cat I'm looking after a cat.
- Pets Looking after pets is fun.
Verantwortlichkeiten
- Business He looks after the business.
- Accounts She looks after the accounts.
`Look After` vs. Ähnliche Phrasen
Sollte ich 'Look After' verwenden?
Geht es bei der Handlung darum, Fürsorge oder Aufsicht zu leisten?
Ist es für eine Person, ein Tier oder ein Objekt?
Geht es darum, nach etwas zu suchen?
Geht es ums visuelle Beobachten?
Worum kannst du dich 'Look After' kümmern?
Personen
- • Kinder
- • Ältere Verwandte
- • Kranke Freunde
- • Dich selbst
Tiere
- • Haustiere (Hunde, Katzen)
- • Bauernhoftiere
- • Verletzte Wildtiere
Objekte
- • Handy/Laptop
- • Haus/Pflanzen
- • Wertsachen
- • Taschen/Gepäck
Verantwortlichkeiten
- • Finanzen
- • Projekte
- • Abteilungen
- • Kundenbedürfnisse
Beispiele nach Niveau
I look after my cat.
I take care of my cat.
She looks after her baby.
She takes care of her baby.
Do you look after your toys?
Do you take care of your toys?
They look after the garden.
They take care of the garden.
I looked after my brother yesterday.
I took care of my brother yesterday.
Can you look after my bag for a minute?
Can you watch my bag for a minute?
We are looking after our neighbor's house.
We are taking care of our neighbor's house.
He doesn't look after his health.
He doesn't take care of his health.
I've been looking after this department for three years.
I have been managing this department for three years.
It's hard to look after a large house by yourself.
It is difficult to maintain a large house alone.
Who is looking after the arrangements for the party?
Who is handling the party arrangements?
You need to look after your skin in the sun.
You need to protect your skin in the sun.
The government needs to look after the interests of small businesses.
The government must protect small business interests.
She has a reputation for looking after her employees well.
She is known for taking good care of her staff.
If you look after your tools, they will last a lifetime.
If you maintain your tools, they will last forever.
He was looking after his elderly parents while working full-time.
He was caring for his aged parents while also working.
The executor is responsible for looking after the estate until probate is granted.
The executor manages the property until legal processes are finished.
In this industry, you really have to look after number one.
In this field, you must prioritize your own interests.
The charity looks after the welfare of retired greyhounds.
The charity manages the well-being of former racing dogs.
The museum looks after some of the world's most precious artifacts.
The museum preserves very valuable historical items.
The state's failure to look after its most vulnerable citizens led to a crisis.
The government's inability to care for the poor caused a crisis.
One must look after the nuances of the contract before signing.
One must attend to the small details of the contract.
He has spent a lifetime looking after the legacy of his late father.
He dedicated his life to preserving his father's reputation.
The ecological balance is looked after by a complex web of predators.
Nature's balance is maintained by predators.
Leicht verwechselbar
Both start with 'look' and involve an object, but one is about care and the other is about searching.
Learners sometimes use 'look after' when they just mean 'observing' something.
They are very similar, but 'take care of' can be used for solving problems, while 'look after' cannot.
Häufige Fehler
I look my dog after.
I look after my dog.
I look for my baby.
I look after my baby.
He look after the cat.
He looks after the cat.
I am look after the house.
I am looking after the house.
I will look after to you.
I will look after you.
She looked after her bag for a minute.
She looked after my bag for a minute.
Did you looked after the plants?
Did you look after the plants?
The project was looked after me.
The project was looked after by me.
I look after to my health.
I look after my health.
I'm looking after for a new job.
I'm looking for a new job.
He looks after number one's interests.
He looks after number one.
Satzmuster
I need someone to look after my ___ while I am ___.
It is important to look after your ___ if you want it to ___.
Who is going to look after the ___ for the ___?
Having to look after ___ taught me a lot about ___.
Real World Usage
I am looking after a Golden Retriever this weekend.
I looked after the budget for the entire marketing department.
Can someone look after Grandma on Tuesday?
Could you look after my seat while I go to the restroom?
He looks after the lawn every Saturday.
The nurses look after the patients around the clock.
Bleib zusammen!
look after ist ein untrennbares Phrasalverb. Das Objekt kommt IMMER NACH dem ganzen Ausdruck. Leg das Objekt nie zwischen look und after! I look after my dog.Nicht mit 'look for' verwechseln!
Look for heißt etwas suchen, während look after sich um etwas kümmernbedeutet. Ein kleines Wort macht einen riesigen Unterschied!
She looks for her keys vs. She looks after her sister.Vielseitigkeit ist Trumpf
Look after funktioniert für Menschen, Tiere und Gegenstände. Denk breit, worum du dich kümmern oder was du beaufsichtigen kannst – von deiner Katze bis zu deiner Netflix-Warteschlange! I look after my plants.Britisch vs. Amerikanisches Englisch
Look after ist im Britischen Englisch etwas häufiger. Obwohl es im Amerikanischen Englisch perfekt verstanden wird, wird für die allgemeine Fürsorge oft take care of bevorzugt. Beide sind aber korrekt! She will look after the children.Vergangenheitsform ist einfach!
looked after. Es ist ein regelmäßiges Verb, also gibt es keine kniffligen Konjugationen. She looked after him yesterday.Smart Tips
Use 'look after' to sound more like a leader. It implies you are in control of the outcome.
Treat 'look after' as a single, long verb that cannot be broken. If you can't put a word inside 'care', don't put one inside 'look after'.
Always put the pronoun at the very end. Phrasal verbs like 'pick up' change order with pronouns, but 'look after' never does.
Place the adverb at the end of the sentence, not between 'look' and 'after'.
Aussprache
Stress Pattern
The primary stress is on the verb 'look', while 'after' is spoken more quickly and with less emphasis.
Linking
The 'k' in 'look' often links smoothly to the 'a' in 'after' in fast speech, sounding like 'loo-kafter'.
Falling Intonation
I'll look after it. ↘
Conveys a promise or a statement of fact.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Think of 'After' as 'Behind'. If you look after someone, you are 'watching their back' to keep them safe.
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a mother duck walking in front and 'looking after' her ducklings who are following 'after' her in a line.
Rhyme
To keep it safe and keep it clean, look after things that must be seen.
Story
Once there was a boy who had a magic plant. He had to look after it every day. He looked after the water, he looked after the sunlight, and eventually, the plant looked after him by growing gold leaves.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Find three things in your room right now that you need to look after. Say out loud: 'I look after my [object] because [reason].'
Kulturelle Hinweise
In the UK, 'look after' is the standard way to talk about childcare. 'Babysitting' is the activity, but 'looking after' is the verb used most often in conversation.
Americans use 'look after' frequently, but 'take care of' is often the first choice in casual speech.
Using 'look after' in a CV or resume is seen as a positive trait, suggesting the candidate is reliable and capable of management without sounding overly aggressive.
The phrase dates back to Middle English. The word 'look' comes from Old English 'locian' (to see), and 'after' comes from 'æfter' (behind/following).
Gesprächseinstiege
Who looks after your pets when you go on holiday?
What is the most difficult thing you have ever had to look after?
In your opinion, should the government look after everyone's health for free?
How do you look after your mental health during busy times?
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
Can you ___ my dog while I'm on holiday?
Look after bedeutet sich kümmern. Look at bedeutet beobachten, und look for bedeutet suchen nach.Find and fix the mistake:
I need to look my little sister after tonight.
Look after ist ein untrennbares Phrasalverb. Das Objekt ('my little sister') muss nach dem gesamten Ausdruck stehen.Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Subjekt + look after + Objekt.Score: /3
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesYesterday, I ___ my neighbor's cat.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
She is look after the baby right now.
I take care of the garden every Sunday.
1. Look after, 2. Look for, 3. Look at
A: Can you help me? B: Sure, I can ___ your bags while you go.
Sentence: 'He looks his health after.'
after / will / your / who / dog / look / ?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
11 exercisesDon't worry about your jacket, I'll ___ it for you.
Which of these sentences is grammatically incorrect?
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Ella cuida a sus padres ancianos.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the subjects with the correct ending:
My job is to ___ the customers' needs and ensure their satisfaction.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: '¿Puedes cuidar mi casa mientras estoy fuera?'
The security guard looks out for the valuables in the gallery.
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Score: /11
FAQ (8)
No, 'after' is the only preposition needed. Adding 'to' is a common mistake. Just say `look after someone`.
Not at all! You can `look after` pets, plants, houses, cars, and even abstract things like a business or your health.
They are mostly the same. However, `take care of` can also mean 'to deal with a problem' or 'to kill someone' (in movies!), while `look after` is strictly about caring and maintenance.
It is neutral. You can use it with your friends, but it is also perfectly fine to use in a business meeting or a job interview.
No. Unlike some phrasal verbs, `look after` is inseparable. The object must always come after the word 'after'.
Similar, but `look after` is more active. If you 'watch' a baby, you might just be looking at them. If you `look after` a baby, you are responsible for their needs.
You can say `The dog is looked after by my sister`. Note that 'looked' and 'after' still stay together.
It is very common in both, but British English speakers use it slightly more frequently than Americans, who might prefer 'take care of'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Cuidar / Ocuparse de
English requires the particle 'after' to change the meaning of 'look'.
S'occuper de / Garder
The English structure is not reflexive and uses a phrasal verb.
Aufpassen auf / Sich kümmern um
German prepositions don't always map 1:1 with English particles.
世話をする (Sewa o suru)
Japanese uses a 'Noun + Verb' construction instead of a 'Verb + Particle' construction.
يعتني بـ (Ya'tani bi)
The direction of the prepositional logic differs.
照顾 (Zhàogù)
Chinese has no verb conjugation for tense, unlike 'look/looked/looking'.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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