Chinese phrases
How to say never mind in Chinese
Never mind in Chinese is 算了 (suàn le) when you drop a question, a plan or a request. When someone apologizes and you mean “it’s fine,” say 没关系 (méi guān xi) or 没事 (méi shì).
算了
forget it; never mind
算了 can sound annoyed or disappointed. Said softly with a smile, it just means “never mind.”
Ways to say never mind
算了
Everydayforget it; never mind
You give up on something: the shop is closed, the question doesn’t matter, the plan won’t work.
算了吧
With friendslet’s just forget it
To give up on something together, or to talk someone out of it: 算了吧，太贵了.
没关系
Everydayit doesn’t matter
The standard answer to an apology: someone bumps into you or is a few minutes late.
没事
Everydayit’s nothing
Relaxed and very common. It answers an apology, and it also means “never mind, it’s not important” when someone asks what you just said.
不用了
Everydayno need anymore
When help you asked for is no longer needed: you found it yourself, or the problem is solved.
Common mistakes
Answering 对不起 with 算了
After an apology, 算了 sounds like “fine, I’ll let it go this time,” as if you were still a little upset. Say 没关系 or 没事.
Using 没关系 for every never mind
没关系 answers an apology. When you no longer need help, 不用了，我找到了 is natural, and 没关系，我找到了 sounds odd.
A flat 算了 in an argument
In a disagreement, a short 算了 can mean “forget it, I’m done talking.” If you only mean that it doesn’t matter, say 没事，不重要.
Out of battery
你有充电宝吗？
Leon: Do you have a power bank?
我找一下……好像没带。
Qiqi: Let me look… I don’t think I brought it.
算了，没事。我手机还有电。
Leon: Never mind, it’s fine. My phone still has some battery.
