het kan me niets schelen
In Dutch, the phrase 'I don't care' is expressed as het kan me niets schelen. Wiktionary also lists het kan me niet schelen.
Meaning: I don't care (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Dutch |
|---|
| het kan me niets schelen |
| het kan me niet schelen |
This phrase is used to express indifference or a lack of interest in a particular subject or outcome.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase het kan me niets schelen literally translates to 'it can matter me nothing' or 'it can concern me nothing'.
Which one should you use?
The form het kan me niets schelen uses 'niets' (nothing) and is more emphatic than the form het kan me niet schelen, which uses 'niet' (not).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Belgium (Flemish), a colloquial way to say this is Het interesseert me geen bal.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this context, the verb schelen functions as an intransitive verb meaning 'to matter' or 'to make a difference'.
Did you know?
- The verb schelen in this phrase is a distant relative of the English word 'skill'. While it means 'to matter' in this context, it originates from a word meaning 'to divide' or 'to separate'.
- The word verschil, meaning 'difference', shares the same root as schelen. Both words stem from the ancient idea of cutting or dividing things apart.
Examples in context
- Het kan me niet schelen.I don't care.Tatoeba #4950239 by Raizin, translation #2323 by CK
- Het kan me niet schelen wat je wilt.I don't care what you want.Tatoeba #9703043 by Nylez, translation #2361145 by CK
- Het kan me niet schelen wat hij doet.I don't care what he does.Tatoeba #710479 by LaraCroft, translation #283422 by CK
- Waar gaan we vanavond eten? Het maakt me niet uit.Where shall we go for dinner? I don't care.
- Heb je een voorkeur voor de film van vanavond? Het boeit me niet.Do you have a preference for the movie tonight? I don't care.
- Wat wil je vanavond doen? Het kan me niet schelen.What do you want to do tonight? I don't care.
- Welk restaurant moeten we kiezen? Het maakt me echt niets uit.Which restaurant should we choose? I don't care at all.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Daan are discussing what to eat for dinner.
- JuliaWat wil je vanavond eten?What do you want to eat tonight?
- DaanHet kan me niets schelen, kies maar iets.I don't care, just pick something.
- JuliaZullen we dan pizza bestellen?Shall we order pizza then?
- DaanDat is prima voor mij.That is fine with me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I don't care” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries het, kan, niet, niets, schelen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
