Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| peu importe | /pø ɛ̃.pɔʁt/ |
| ça ne fait rien | /sa n(ə) fɛ ʁjɛ̃/ |
Peu importe is used to express that something is unimportant or irrelevant. It often functions as a prepositional phrase followed directly by a question word such as qui (who), que (what), où (where) or comment (how) to mean 'no matter [who/what/where/how]'. Other related forms include n'importe and qu'importe, which can mean 'regardless of'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase peu importe literally translates to 'little it matters'.
Which one should you use?
Peu importe is used when you mean 'it doesn't matter' in the sense of 'it is irrelevant'. In contrast, ça ne fait rien is used to mean 'it's okay' or 'don't worry about it', typically when responding to an apology or a mistake.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When the related form n'importe is used as an adjective to mean 'any' or 'whichever', it must be followed by quel (or its variations quelle, quels, quelles) to agree with the noun it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /pø ɛ̃.pɔʁt/.
Did you know?
- The term n'importe quoi is often used as a standalone exclamation to mean 'that is nonsense'.
- In casual spoken French, the ne in ça ne fait rien is almost always dropped, leaving only ça fait rien.
- The word rien in ça ne fait rien comes from the Latin word rem, meaning 'thing'.
Examples in context
- Peu importe combien ça coûte.No matter how much it costs.This sentence shows how to use peu importe with a cost.Tatoeba #431638 by qdii, translation #431640 by Edouard
- Peu importe où on va, je te suis.No matter where we go, I'll follow you.This sentence shows how to use peu importe with a location.Tatoeba #11669755 by Adrien_FR, translation #13353167 by menaud
- Peu importe ce qu'il dit, ne le crois pas.No matter what he says, don't trust him.This sentence shows how to use peu importe with a statement.Tatoeba #129958 by dominiko, translation #283426 by CK
- Peu importe l'heure à laquelle vous arrivez, le restaurant sera ouvert.No matter what time you arrive, the restaurant will be open.
- Quoi qu'il en soit, nous devons respecter les règles établies.No matter what, we must follow the established rules.
- Qu'importe ce qu'il dit, je ne vais pas changer d'avis.No matter what he says, I won't change my mind.
- 53 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are deciding on a restaurant.
- ManonTu veux manger italien ou japonais ?Do you want to eat Italian or Japanese?
- GabrielPeu importe pour moi, Manon.It doesn't matter to me, Manon.
- ManonAlors, on va au restaurant italien ?So, shall we go to the Italian restaurant?
- GabrielD'accord, ça me va très bien.Okay, that works great for me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no matter” translations and entries peu importe, ça ne fait rien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fait, ne, peu, rien, ça, ça ne fait rien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
