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Glite Dictionary
to mind how

to mind how

2 6.6
Be careful about how you act or speak
  • phrasal verb
  • UK
translation icon : ten cuidado con
  • - Why don't you mind how you talk to me?
  • mind how you go

Examples

  • It's all I have left of her, so mind how you handle it.

  • It would satisfy Locke's Proviso in that, never mind how much some have already, there exists "enough and as good" for all others.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Mind how you go now.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Jack, you better mind how you go.

  • Mind how you talk to me, or you might hurt my feelings.

Synonyms

to mind
vsto mind how
271 2.1

To pay careful attention to something

is about carefulness specifically in how one acts or behaves
to mind one's Ps and Qs
vsto mind how
  • Archaic
1 8.6

Be careful about how you behave and what you say to be polite

is about being careful in actions generally rather than focusing on politeness

Antonyms

indifference
71 4.6

Lack of interest or concern about something

carelessness
16 2.8

Lack of attention that causes mistakes or accidents

How Careful

to watch out
  • Informal
582 3.0
to mind how
  • UK
2 6.6
to be careful
979 1.0
to take care
168 1.8

Surface Forms

mind how infinitive
minded how past
minded how past participle
minding how present participle
minds how third person singular

Morphology

mind + how

The phrase directly combines 'mind' (to heed/be careful) with 'how' (the manner), so its meaning 'be careful about the way you do something' is compositionally derivable from the parts. This verb + manner pattern is common in English (and mirrors constructions in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should comprehend it.

Etymology

Mind how comes from an older use of mind meaning 'watch' or 'take care' and how meaning 'the way' you do something, so imagine a parent saying this to a child to watch the way they walk or speak. So, it now means 'be careful about the way you do something'.