Tek care a mi heart
Also spelled: tek care a mi heart, tek kyaar a mi heart, tek care ah mi hawt
Meaning
A plea or trusting request made to a romantic partner to be gentle with one's feelings and not cause hurt; it conveys emotional vulnerability and the handing over of one's affection into another's keeping.
Examples
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“Mi a give yuh mi love, so tek care a mi heart.”
I'm giving you my love, so take care of my heart.
'a give' is the continuous marker before the verb.
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“If yuh waan mi fi trus yuh, tek care a mi heart.”
If you want me to trust you, take care of my heart.
'fi trus' uses 'fi' for 'to'.
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“Mi did hurt before, so please tek care a mi heart dis time.”
I've been hurt before, so please take care of my heart this time.
'did hurt' marks completed past; 'dis' = this.
Origin
A calque built entirely from English words ('take care of my heart') reshaped by Patois phonology: 'take' becomes 'tek' and 'of' becomes the reduced particle 'a'.
How it's used
Heartfelt and sincere, common in love talk, letters, and song lyrics. Because it exposes vulnerability, it is said only to someone the speaker genuinely trusts; used casually or sarcastically it can sound mocking.