关心

关心 (guānxīn) is a verb meaning 'to care about' or 'to be concerned about' someone or something — to actively pay attention to their wellbeing or to a situation. Use it for people you genuinely care for (父母关心孩子 — parents care about their children), for social issues (关心环境 — care about the environment), and for politely thanking someone (谢谢你的关心 — thanks for your concern). Two notes for English speakers: first, 关心 implies REAL concern and warmth — it's stronger than the throwaway English 'I don't really care'; for that, use 在乎 (zàihu) or 在意 (zàiyì).

Second, you don't use 关心 for liking something trivial (don't say 我关心咖啡 — I 'care about' coffee); use 喜欢 (xǐhuan) instead. 关心 is reserved for sincere, often nurturing, attention.