冇問題
mou5 man6 tai4
冇問題 (mou5 man6 tai4) is the Cantonese way to say no problem.
This phrase is used to indicate that no apology is necessary, functioning as a way to say "it's okay" or "don't worry about it." Additionally, it is frequently used to mean "certainly" or "surely" when you are agreeing to a request.
Meaning: no apology is necessary (intj)
How do you pronounce it?
mou5 man6 tai4
Did you know?
- The word 問題 is a loan-translation of the English word 'problem' that entered Chinese via Japanese influence in the late 19th century.
- The character 冇 (to not have) is a distinctly southern Chinese character used in Cantonese, whereas in Mandarin, one would typically use 没 (méi) to express the same lack of a 'problem'.
- While an English speaker might use 'no problem' to downplay a favor, a Cantonese speaker using 冇問題 is often actually highlighting their absolute certainty that they can complete the task.
Examples in context
- 冇問題。No problem.This sentence shows how to use 冇問題 in a simple context.Tatoeba #6486910 by nickyeow, translation #551443 by CM
Example conversation
Ka Ming accidentally bumps into Hiu Tung in the hallway.
- 家明 Ka Ming對唔住，我唔係專登。deoi3 m4 zyu6, ngo5 m4 hai6 zyun1 dang1.Sorry, I didn't do it on purpose.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung冇問題，唔緊要。mou5 man6 tai3, m4 gan2 jiu3.No problem, it doesn't matter.
- 家明 Ka Ming真係唔好意思。zan1 hai6 m4 hou2 ji3 ji3.I'm really sorry.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung真係冇問題，唔使在意。zan1 hai6 mou5 man6 tai3, m4 sai2 zoi3 ji3.It's really no problem, don't worry about it.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
