# 気にかかり and 気にする



## JapanForever

Hi there, 
I wanted to know a thing about these two words: 気にかかり and 気にする. I know these two would mean basically "to worry" and I guess there is no great difference but it looks like the latter seems less stronger than the former. (For the context, I just wanted to search for "worry" and I found these two)
How do you use these words?


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## SoLaTiDoberman

I think 気にかかる and 気にする are almost the same and interchangeable each other. (気にかかり is not a dictionary form, or it's used as a noun.)

If you provide me with a specific context, maybe I can tell the difference.


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## JapanForever

Well for example is there a difference there between :
*父の健康がひどく**気にかかる
父の健康がひどく気にする*
Are they the same or one is more empathetic than the other?


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## SoLaTiDoberman

JapanForever said:


> Well for example is there a difference there between :
> *父の健康がひどく**気にかかる
> 父の健康がひどく気にする*
> Are they the same or one is more empathetic than the other?




*父の健康がひどく気にかかる＝父の健康をひどく気にする

*They are the same.


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## JapanForever

So there are no difference? None of them is stronger than the other?


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## SoLaTiDoberman

No.
None of them is stronger than the other, at all.


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## SoLaTiDoberman

Well, I think the difference is like this:

父の健康が気にかかる＝ I cannot help worrying about my father's health.
(I tried not to think about it, but I cannot help thinking about my father's health. It occurs in my mind automatically.)
父の健康を気にする　＝I do worry about my father's health.
( I intentionally think about my father's health condition.)

It is more like the difference between the 'passive voice' and the 'active voice.'
However, I cannot say one of them is stronger than the other.
Hope this helps.


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## JapanForever

Okay so...The latter is more intentional than the other. Thanks.
However, last question: when can we use the 気にかかる form as it isn't a dictionary form?


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## SoLaTiDoberman

気（名詞）　
に（助詞）　
かかる（動詞）　

気にかかる is a set phrase that has three words.
I don't understand your question's point.


父の健康がきにかかる。(現在）
父の健康が気にかかった。　（過去）
父の健康はきにかからない。（否定）

What is your problem?


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## JapanForever

I asked if we could use the two forms equally?


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## Tonky

気がかり/気にかかる = it bothers you, 気にする = you worry, you are worried. I would never consider them the same nor treat them "equally", but it is up to your language sense and ability to decide. It seems like "which is stronger among all the similar words" always bothers you a lot  If you must write an essay or something using either of two similar words, I would recommend you to use whichever is more familiar to you and ask for advice after actually writing some yourself, because, you know, "which fits" almost always depends on context anyways.


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## JapanForever

So  there is no much difference between 気にする and 気にかかる?


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## Vaan

JapanForever said:


> So  there is no much difference between 気にする and 気にかかる?


SoLaTiDoberman has explained the difference in the message #7.
They are different like, say, 'to remind me' and '(I) think of'.


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## JapanForever

Okay. Thanks for your help


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