Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA |
|---|---|
| nie ma sprawy | /ˈɲɛ ma‿ˈspra.vɘ/ |
| nic nie szkodzi | |
| nie ma za co | /ˈɲɛ.ma ˈza.t͡sɔ/ |
In Polish, "no worries" is expressed differently depending on whether you are responding to a request, an apology or a thank you. While nie ma sprawy is a general way to say "no problem," you can also use Nie ma problemu to mean "no worries" or "no problem." In more casual settings, you might hear Spoko to mean "it's all good," Bez stresu to convey "no stress," or Jest OK as a laid-back way to say "it's fine."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase nie ma sprawy literally translates to "there is no matter" or "there is no issue."
Which one should you use?
The different Polish forms serve specific social functions. Use nie ma sprawy to mean "no problem" when responding to a request or a general situation. Use nic nie szkodzi to mean "it doesn't matter" or "no harm done" when someone makes a minor mistake or accident. If you are specifically responding to someone saying "thank you," use nie ma za co which means "don't mention it" or "you're welcome."
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase nie ma sprawy uses the negative existential construction nie ma (there is not), which requires the following noun, sprawy, to be in the genitive case.
How do you pronounce it?
The phrase nie ma sprawy is pronounced /ˈɲɛ ma‿ˈspra.vɘ/. It has 3 syllables and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word spoko is a slang clipping of the word spokojnie, which means 'calmly' or 'quietly'.
- The phrase nie ma za co is a linguistic cousin to the French phrase il n'y a pas de quoi, which functions in a very similar way to say 'don't mention it'.
- In very casual Polish, spoko can be used as an adjective to describe a person who is 'chill' or easy-going, not just as a response.
Examples in context
- Nie ma problemu, rozumiem.No worries, I understand.
- Nie ma problemu, to była pomyłka.No worries, it was a mistake.
- Spoko, to się zdarza.No worries, it happens.
- Bez stresu, zwrócisz mi ją następnym razem.No worries, you can give it to me next time.
- Nie ma sprawy, mogę to zrobić.No worries, I can do it.
- Nie ma sprawy, nie przeszkadza mi to.No worries, it doesn't bother me.
Example conversation
Agnieszka apologizes to Paweł for forgetting a book.
- PawełPrzepraszam, że zapomniałam twojej książki.I'm sorry that I forgot your book.
- AgnieszkaNie ma sprawy, przynieś ją jutro.No worries, bring it tomorrow.
- PawełDziękuję, Paweł, jesteś bardzo miły.Thank you, Paweł, you are very kind.
- AgnieszkaNie ma za co, do zobaczenia!You're welcome, see you!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no worries” translations and entries nie ma sprawy, nie ma za co, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries co, nic, nie, nie ma sprawy, nie ma za co, za, CC BY-SA 4.0.
