How to Say “Nevermind” in Italian

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non importa
In Italian, nevermind is expressed as non importa.
The phrase non importa is used to convey that a previous statement or request is no longer important.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of non (not) and importa (it matters/it is important).

Which one should you use?

While non importa is a direct equivalent to 'nevermind' in the sense of 'it doesn't matter', it is more commonly used to mean 'it's not important' rather than 'forget what I just said' in a dismissive way. If you are responding to someone's apology and want to say 'it's okay' or 'no problem', you should use the alternative non fa niente.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

For informal situations where you want to suggest dropping or forgetting a subject, you can use the idiomatic expression Lascia perdere. Another colloquial way to say 'nevermind' when you want someone to stop doing something or stop talking about a topic is lascia stare.

Did you know?

  • The verb in non importa comes from the Latin 'importare', which originally meant 'to bring in' or 'to carry into', rather than the modern sense of 'to be significant'.
  • In Italy, the gesture of a dismissive hand wave often accompanies lascia stare to signal that a topic should be completely abandoned.
  • If you are in a heated argument and want to say 'nevermind' to end the discussion, switching from non importa to lascia stare can change the tone from polite indifference to genuine irritation.

Examples in context

  • Vuoi un caffè? No, non importa, ho già bevuto.
    Do you want a coffee? No, nevermind, I've already drunk one.
  • Non importa, posso farlo da sola.
    Nevermind, I can do it by myself.
  • Non importa più, ho già risolto il problema.
    It doesn't matter anymore, I already solved the problem.
  • Non importa, non ti preoccupare.
    Nevermind, don't worry about it.

Example conversation

Lorenzo and Sofia are at home and a small misunderitive occurs regarding a task.

  1. Lorenzo

    Sofia, mi passi il telecomando?
    Sofia, can you pass me the remote?
  2. Sofia

    Scusa, non l'ho visto sotto il divano.
    Sorry, I didn't see it under the sofa.
  3. Lorenzo

    Non importa, l'ho trovato io.
    Nevermind, I found it.
  4. Sofia

    Va bene, allora.
    Alright then.

Sources

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Olivia Elsie
Olivia ElsieHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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