Meaning of くれぐれも


I started hearing this word in various anime: it's starting to seem quite
common, but I'm not sure about its meaning.

[Jisho](https://jisho.org/word/%E5%91%89%E3%82%8C%E5%91%89%E3%82%8C%E3%82%82)
lists it as "sincerely; repeatedly", but it doesn't seem to be it's whole
meaning, if at all; unfortunately I wasn't able to find the examples where I
heard it in the past, but I took a couple from Jisho and one from the last
time I heard it:

> 明日からくれぐれも頼んだよ
>
> We are counting on you from tomorrow
>
> あの方にくれぐれもよろしく
>
> Give him my best regards
>
> くれぐれもお体をお大事に
>
> Please take good care of yourself
>
> くれぐれも気をつけてください
>
> Please be careful

It seems to me in those examples it doesn't really translate as per Jisho: if
it's translated at all (in the first example it doesn't seem to be
translated), it in " **best** regards" and " **good** care".

I tried
[Weblio](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%8F%E3%82%8C%E3%81%90%E3%82%8C%E3%82%82),
but as far as I can understand it says it means "To repeat many times; used
when asking sincerely", which seems more or less in line with Jisho and again
doesn't seem to really fit.

Am I right in thinking that 「くれぐれも」 is best understood as an intensifier, a
word used to put emphasis on what is being said, rather than having specific
meanings like those given by Jisho? If I'm right, 「明日からくれぐれも頼んだよ」 wold mean
something like "We are **really** counting on you from tomorrow", "We are
counting on you from tomorrow [and we are expecting results]".

(Also, I'm just realizing this while finishing this question, I'm not sure why
with 「明日」 is used 「頼んだ」, a past form.)




I think you are more or less correct. くれぐれも is one of those most difficult
words to translate from Japanese. In one phrase I would translate it as "be
sure to", in the context of being an intensifier. This is a relatively
"stronger" intensifier, as you may know Japanese has many words to strengthen
a meaning, this one being on the higher end of the scale. Also, some words or
phrases do not work with other intensifiers, may even only work with a
specific intensifier. For example, I can't think of any other intensifier that
works with 頼んだよ so the strong version of 頼んだよ would always be くれぐれも頼んだよ.
However a similar but slightly version 頼みますよ can also go with しっかり. So since
くれぐれも has quite limited use cases, using this phrase yourself is a bit more
tricky.

Anyway, the short answer is, くれぐれも is an intensifier so all of the above
phrases (in your question) become stronger or more sincere with the くれぐれも than
without.




I think you are more or less correct. くれぐれも is one of those most difficult
words to translate from Japanese. In one phrase I would translate it as "be
sure to", in the context of being an intensifier. This is a relatively
"stronger" intensifier, as you may know Japanese has many words to strengthen
a meaning, this one being on the higher end of the scale. Also, some words or
phrases do not work with other intensifiers, may even only work with a
specific intensifier. For example, I can't think of any other intensifier that
works with 頼んだよ so the strong version of 頼んだよ would always be くれぐれも頼んだよ.
However a similar but slightly version 頼みますよ can also go with しっかり. So since
くれぐれも has quite limited use cases, using this phrase yourself is a bit more
tricky.

Anyway, the short answer is, くれぐれも is an intensifier so all of the above
phrases (in your question) become stronger or more sincere with the くれぐれも than
without.

