这个单词作为名词使用时词义比较清楚明确，问题不大。但是作为动词使用时，部分意义有点复杂，甚至有些意义似乎相互矛盾。下面将 care 的几种主要意义和用法分别列举。
2) 表示“喜欢”、“乐意”、“愿意”（都是正面的，属第一类动词），采用三种形式：
a) care for（多用于否定句或疑问句，较少用于肯定句，而且由于表示心态，不能用进行时）。
- I don't care for his type very much.我不大喜欢他那一类型的人。
- The house was lovely, but I didn't care for the furniture.房子倒是挺舒服的，不过我不喜欢那些家具。
- What music do you care for best?您最喜欢哪种音乐？
- How do you care for bowling?您喜欢保龄球吗？
- Would you care for a cigar?来根雪茄烟好吗？
- Would you care for a stroll in the garden?到花园散散步好吗？
- I don't care much for going to the theatre.我不大喜欢看戏。
- He didn't drink; he didn't care for the taste of it.他没有喝；他不喜欢那股酒味。
- I didn't care for the way he looked at me.我不喜欢他那副盯着我看的样子。
但是 care for（不限于否定句与疑问句）也有普通的含义，就是“照料”（在体上属表示活动的延续动词，第二类）。
- to care for the wound照料伤员
- to care for an aged relative at home在家照料一个年老的亲戚
- The children are well cared for.孩子们得到良好的照料。
Care for 用于表示行动的“照料”意义时，可以用现在或过去进行时。
- Millions of boomers are caring for parents afflicted with a disease that steals minds and memories.数以百万计的婴儿潮时期出生者，正在照料着患了一种丧失心智和记忆力的疾病的父母。
b) care to inf. （属第一类兼第二类动词）。
- Would you care to join us for dinner?您愿意同我们一起吃晚饭吗？
- He needs her more than he cares to admit.他比自己愿意承认的更加需要她。
- Would you care to step this way?请您走这边好吗？
- I don't care to attend the rally.我不愿参加那个集会。
- I should not care to be seen with him.我不愿意让人家看见我同他在一起。
- We have power if we only care to exercise it.我们本来是有力量的，只要我们愿意运用这个力量。
- It was a memorable experience, but I shouldn't care to repeat it.那是一次难忘的经历，不过我不愿意再重复。
- I wonder if you would care to join me in a drink?您愿意同我一起喝两杯吗？
- It's wrong whichever way you care to look at it.不管你从哪个角度来看，这都是错误的。
c) care for somebody to inf. 愿意让某人做某事（第一类动词，表示延续状态）。
- I don't care for him to read this letter.我不愿意让他看到这封信。