管好你自己的事
guǎn hǎo nǐ zìjǐ de shì
In Chinese, the phrase for "mind your business" is 管好你自己的事 (guǎn hǎo nǐ zìjǐ de shì).
管好你自己的事 is a sharp command used to tell someone to stop interfering in things that do not concern them. Because it is a direct command, it is considered quite blunt and potentially rude in most social situations.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 管 (manage/control), 好 (well/properly), 你自己的 (your own) and 事 (matters/affairs).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are several ways to express this depending on the level of politeness and aggression. For formal situations, you can use 请不要过问 (Please do not inquire), 请勿干涉 (Please do not interfere) or 请您不要多管闲事 (Please do not meddle in others' affairs). In informal settings, you might use 别管闲事 (Don't meddle in others' affairs), 别瞎掺和 (Don't randomly butt in or interfere) or 自己管好自己 (Mind your own business). For a more aggressive and colloquial approach, you can use 关你什么事 (what does it have to do with you).
How do you pronounce it?
guǎn hǎo nǐ zìjǐ de shì
Did you know?
- The character 管 in 管好你自己的事 originally referred to a bamboo pipe. Over time, the idea of 'controlling the flow' through a pipe evolved into the meaning of 'managing' or 'controlling' a situation.
- In Chinese culture, the concept of 'face' means that telling someone to 管好你自己的事 in public is a severe social blow, far more than in Western cultures.
- Using the formal 请勿干涉 in a casual argument can actually make the speaker sound more menacing because it implies a cold, clinical detachment.
Examples in context
- 请不要过问我的私事。Please do not inquire about my personal matters.
- 别管闲事。Don't meddle in others' affairs.
- 管好你自己的事吧。Guǎnhǎo nǐ zìjǐ de shì ba.Just mind your own business.
- 你能不能管好你自己的事？Nǐ néng bù néng guǎnhǎo nǐ zìjǐ de shì?Can you just mind your own business?
Example conversation
Two coworkers are arguing in the office after one asks too many personal questions.
- 浩然 Haoran你为什么问我的工资？Nǐ wèishéme wèn wǒ de gōngzī?Why are you asking about my salary?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我只是好奇。Wǒ zhǐshì hàoqí.I was just curious.
- 浩然 Haoran请管好你自己的事。Qǐng guǎnhǎo nǐ zìjǐ de shì.Please mind your own business.
- 佳怡 Jiayi好吧，对不起。Hǎo ba, duìbuqǐ.Alright, sorry.
