What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a combination of the negation no and the third-person singular form of the verb importar, which means 'it does not matter'.
Which one should you use?
no importa is used when you want to say 'never mind' in the sense that something is not a problem. In contrast, English speakers sometimes use 'never mind' to mean 'forget what I just said', whereas no importa focuses on the fact that the situation is of no consequence. Other ways to express this include da igual, meaning 'it's all the same' or 'it doesn't matter' and no importa mucho, which means something doesn't matter much.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase no importa, the verb importar is used in the third-person singular because the subject is the situation or thing being discussed.
How do you pronounce it?
/no impoɾta/
When do people say it?
You can use No te molestes (don't bother) to dismiss someone's offer or suggestion as a form of 'never mind'.
Did you know?
- The verb importar is used in no importa in a way similar to 'to matter' in English, but in other contexts it means 'to import' goods from another country.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying no importa while waving a hand dismissively is a common non-verbal cue to signal that a mistake is truly forgotten.
- While no importa is used for 'never mind', the phrase da igual literally means 'it gives equal', reflecting a conceptual difference in how indifference is expressed.
Examples in context
- No importa, lo puedo hacer yo solo.Never mind, I can do it by myself.This example shows how to use no importa to say you can do something yourself.Tatoeba #1956993 by marcelostockle, translation #275733 by kebukebu
- No importa. Cualquiera puede cometer fallos.Never mind. Anyone can make mistakes.This example shows how to use no importa to reassure someone that mistakes are common.Tatoeba #1610693 by teskmon, translation #20393 by fishda
- No importa nada.Never mind.This example uses no importa to express that nothing matters.Tatoeba #11078792 by JSKabylie, translation #20392 by Objectivesea
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro forgot to bring a pen to a meeting with María.
- MaríaNo importa, tengo un bolígrafo extra.Never mind, I have an extra pen.
- AlejandroMuchas gracias, María.Thank you very much, María.
- MaríaDe nada, Alejandro.You're welcome, Alejandro.
- AlejandroLo siento mucho por el olvido.I'm very sorry for forgetting.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry no importa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
