对不起
duìbuqǐ
I'm sorry
How to say "It's fine" in Chinese
没事
méi shì
It's fine
Character breakdown
没
not
méi
事
matter
shì
Grammar and structure
没事 (méi shì) literally means "no matter" or "nothing." It's a short, fixed expression used to say something is not a problem.
Variations and politeness
没问题
méi wèntí
No problem — More colloquial.
没事儿
méi shìr
It's all right — More informal, with erhua.
Mini dialogue
A
对不起，我迟到了。
Duìbùqǐ, wǒ chídào le.
Sorry, I'm late.
B
没事。
Méi shì.
It's fine.
When to use it
Appropriate
- When someone apologizes for a minor mistake or inconvenience.
- In casual conversations to reassure someone that everything is okay.
- When you want to brush off a small problem or accident.
Avoid when
- In very formal situations, where 没关系 (méi guānxi) is safer.
- When responding to a serious apology or a major offense, as it may sound too dismissive.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "it's fine" in Chinese?
You can say 没事 (méi shì). It literally means "no matter" and is used to reassure someone.
How do you pronounce 没事?
It is pronounced "méi shì" with a falling-rising tone on méi and a falling tone on shì.
When do you use 没事?
Use it in casual conversations to respond to apologies or to say that something is not a problem.
More phrases for this situation
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