How to Say "Let It Go" in Chinese

随它吧

suí tā ba

In Chinese, "let it go" is expressed as 随它吧 (suí tā ba).

随它吧 is used to express a sense of resignation, suggesting that one should stop trying to control a situation and just let things happen.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of the character 随, which means to follow or to go along with and the pronoun 它, which means "it".

In Cantonese, specifically in Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, you can express "let it go" as 放手啦.

You can create a common variation by adding the character 去, meaning "to go", to the phrase to get 随它去吧.

suí tā ba

If someone is 'letting it go' in the sense of ignoring a mistake, they might use 睁一只眼闭一只眼, meaning 'to close one eye and open the other'.
The character 随 in 随它吧 is also used in the term 随缘, a Buddhist concept meaning to let things happen according to fate or destiny.
In the Cantonese version 放手啦, the phrase 放手 literally means 'to release one's grip', making the phrase much more tactile and physical than the English equivalent.

你做错了什么，别放在心上，继续前进！(Nǐ zuò cuò le shénme, bié fàng zài xīn shàng, jìxù qiánjìn!)
Whatever mistakes you've made, don't dwell on them, just keep moving forward!
这个计划看起来不可行，算了吧。(Zhège jìhuà kàn qǐlái bù kěxíng, suàn le ba.)
This plan doesn't seem feasible, just forget it.
随它吧，别再想了。
Suí tā ba, bié zài xiǎng le.
Let it go, stop thinking about it.
既然已经发生了，随它吧。
Jìrán yǐjīng fāshēng le, suí tā ba.
Since it has already happened, let it go.
事情已经无法挽回，随它吧。
Shìqing yǐjīng wúfǎ wǎnhuí, suí tā ba.
The situation can't be undone, so let it go.

A friend is feeling stressed about a mistake at work.

志强 Zhiqiang

你还在为那个错误难过吗？
Nǐ hái zài wèi nàge cuòwù nánguò ma?
Are you still feeling upset about that mistake?
梓涵 Zihan

是啊，我真的很后悔。
Shì a, wǒ zhēn de hěn hòuhuǐ.
Yes, I really regret it.
志强 Zhiqiang

随它吧，别影响心情了。
Suí tā ba, bié yǐngxiǎng xīnqíng le.
Let it go, don't let it ruin your mood.
梓涵 Zihan

你说得对，谢谢你。
Nǐ shuō de duì, xièxiè nǐ.
You're right, thank you.

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