Not to worry
Informal Polite
What it really means
Literally "don't worry", and often genuinely kind. But when someone says it about their own problem that you caused, it can politely hide real inconvenience. A cheerful tone usually means all is truly well.
Chinese explanation
字面是"别担心",很多时候确实是善意的。但如果是你造成了麻烦、对方却说"没关系",可能是在礼貌地掩饰真实的不便。语气轻松愉快时才是真的没事。
Example conversation
A: The shop's run out of the cake you wanted.
B: Not to worry — I'll make something myself.
A:你想要的那款蛋糕店里卖完了。
B:没关系——我自己做点什么吧。
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.
Related phrases
All Politeness Decoder
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· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake