me da igual
/me da iɡwal/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'idc' can be expressed as me da igual.
The phrase is used to show that a person has no preference or interest in a matter, indicating that something is equal or the same to them.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to 'it gives me equal'.
Which one should you use?
While me da igual expresses indifference or a lack of preference, it is a more neutral expression than no me importa, which can sometimes sound more dismissive or rude depending on the tone used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, it is common to use the idioms No me importa un pimiento and No me importa un bledo. In Latin America, the idioms No me importa un comino and No me importa un pepino are widely used.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase me da igual, the verb dar (to give) is used idiomatically. The subject is the situation itself, and the indirect object me indicates the person affected.
How do you pronounce it?
/me da iɡwal/
Did you know?
- The word me in this phrase comes from a mix of the Latin accusative mē and the dative mihi.
- In Spain, people often use no me importa un bledo to show they are indifferent, where 'bledo' refers to a type of plant.
- In the phrase me da igual, the thing being discussed is the grammatical subject, not the person speaking.
Examples in context
- ¿A qué restaurante te gustaría ir? Me es indiferente, elige tú.Which restaurant would you like to go to? I don't care, you choose.
- ¿Te gustaría venir a la reunión? No me importa, asistiré si es necesario.Would you like to come to the meeting? I don't care, I'll attend if necessary.
- No me importa un pimiento lo que digan los demás.I don't care at all about what others say.
- Que llegue a tiempo o no, no me importa un comino.Whether they arrive on time or not, I don't care at all.
- ¿Quieres que compre pizza o hamburguesas? Me da igual, elige tú.Do you want me to buy pizza or hamburgers? I don't care, you choose.
- No me importa un bledo si vienes o no.I don't care a darn if you come or not.
- ¿Quieres pizza o pasta? Me da igual.Do you want pizza or pasta? I don't care / It's all the same to me.
- Me da igual la comida.I don't care about the food.
- Si quieres ir hoy, me da igual.If you want to go today, I don't care.
- Me da igual el color del coche.I don't care about the color of the car.
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding which movie to watch at home.
- Elena¿Quieres ver una película de acción?Do you want to watch an action movie?
- DanielNo, me da igual lo que veamos.No, I don't care what we watch.
- ElenaEstá bien, elegiré yo entonces.Alright, I'll choose then.
- DanielPerfecto, me parece bien.Perfect, that sounds good to me.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries igual, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
