tidak apa-apa
The English phrase "no problem" is translated into Indonesian as tidak apa-apa.
This phrase is used to indicate that no apology is necessary, functioning idiomatically to mean "it is nothing" or "it is no big deal."
Meaning: no apology is necessary (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase tidak apa-apa literally translates to "not what-what".
Which one should you use?
While tidak apa-apa is used to mean "no problem" in response to an apology, you should use sama-sama when you want to say "you're welcome" in response to "thank you".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form tidak apa-apa can be shortened to nggak apa-apa in casual conversation. For more formal situations, you can use Tidak masalah. or Tidak ada masalah. Informal alternatives include Gapapa, Gak masalah, and Santai aja, which means "just relax" or "take it easy".
Did you know?
- The word tidak used in tidak apa-apa shares a common ancestor with the word tsy in Malagasy, a language spoken on the island of Madagascar.
- Indonesian uses different words for 'no' depending on whether they negate a noun or a verb, but tidak is the standard choice for the phrase tidak apa-apa.
- In Indonesian, the word apa is repeated as apa-apa to shift the meaning from a specific 'what' to a general 'anything' or 'things'.
Examples in context
- Tidak apa-apa. Aku bisa tidur di sofa.No problem. I can sleep on the couch.This sentence shows how to use tidak apa-apa to dismiss a concern.Tatoeba #11251814 by HAGNi, translation #11251809 by ddnktr
- Tidak apa-apa, jangan merasa bersalah.It's okay, don't feel guilty.
- Sudah kubilang, tidak apa-apa kok.I told you, it's no problem.
Example conversation
Sari accidentally spills some water on Rian's desk.
- RianAduh, maaf ya, Rian!Oh no, I'm sorry, Rian!
- SariTidak apa-apa, Sari. Bisa dilap kok.No problem, Sari. It can be wiped up.
- RianAku benar-benar minta maaf.I am really sorry.
- SariSudah, tidak apa-apa.Enough, it's really no problem.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tidak apa-apa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries apa-apa, tidak, tidak apa-apa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
