no te preocupes
/no te pɾeokupes/from spelling rules
The English phrase "never mind you" is expressed in Spanish as no te preocupes.
This phrase is used to tell someone not to worry or be concerned about something. You can also use the phrase no hay cuidado to express similar sentiments like "no problem" or "no worries".
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, no te preocupes means "don't worry yourself", where te is the reflexive pronoun for "you".
Which one should you use?
You might use olvídalo to informally say "forget about it".
How do you pronounce it?
/no te pɾeokupes/
Did you know?
- In Mexico, you might hear the slang no hay pedo to mean 'no problem' or 'don't worry about it', though it is very informal and uses a vulgar term for 'problem'.
- While no te preocupes is standard, in many Latin American countries you might hear no te hagas la cabeza, which literally means 'don't make the head' to tell someone to stop overthinking.
- The word preocupes comes from the prefix pre meaning 'before' and ocupar meaning 'to occupy'. It literally describes the mind being 'occupied before' an event happens.
Examples in context
- No se preocupe usted, el informe estará listo mañana.Don't worry yourself, the report will be ready tomorrow.
- No se preocupe, déjelo. No es importante.Don't worry, leave it. It's not important.
- No te preocupes, todo saldrá bien.Never mind, everything will turn out fine.
- No te preocupes por el examen.Don't worry about the exam.
- No te preocupes, yo lo hago.Don't worry, I'll do it.
- No te preocupes por la limpieza.Don't worry about the cleaning.
Example conversation
Javier apologizes to María for forgetting a book.
- MaríaHola Javier, ¿trajiste mi libro?Hi Javier, did you bring my book?
- JavierLo siento, María, se me olvidó.I'm sorry, María, I forgot it.
- MaríaNo te preocupes, me lo das mañana.Don't worry, give it to me tomorrow.
- JavierGracias, te lo prometo.Thanks, I promise.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
