no te preocupes
/no te pɾeokupes/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "not to worry" is no te preocupes.
This phrase is used to tell someone that they should not be anxious or concerned about a situation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase no te preocupes is a negative imperative. The word no provides the negation, te is the reflexive pronoun meaning "yourself" and preocupes is the subjunctive form of the verb preocuparse, which means "to worry oneself".
Which one should you use?
No te preocupes is the informal version used with friends, family or anyone you address as "tú". In contrast, if you are speaking to a stranger or a superior, you should use the formal version no se preocupe.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico or Argentina, you might say no te preocupes tanto to express "don't worry so much".
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are in Spain and addressing a group of people informally, the phrase becomes no os preocupéis.
How do you pronounce it?
/no te pɾeokupes/
Did you know?
- The word preocuparse literally translates to 'occupying one's mind beforehand', suggesting that worry is a way of filling your mental space in advance.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, instead of saying no te preocupes, people often use the phrase no pasa nada, which literally translates to 'nothing is happening'.
- While no te preocupes is a common reassurance, in some Spanish-speaking cultures, it is often accompanied by a casual wave of the hand to visually dismiss the problem.
Examples in context
- No se preocupe, todo estará bienDon't worry, everything will be fine
- No se preocupe por eso, estamos trabajando en una soluciónDon't worry about that, we are working on a solution
- No te preocupes, estaré allí a tiempoDon't worry, I'll be there on time
- Tranquilo, no hay problemaTake it easy, there's no problem
- No te preocupes, todo saldrá bien.Don't worry, everything will turn out fine.
- No te preocupes por el examen.Don't worry about the exam.
- No te preocupes, yo lo arreglo.Don't worry, I will fix it.
Example conversation
Daniel is apologizing to Lucía for forgetting a book.
- DanielOlvidé tu libro, lo siento mucho.I forgot your book, I'm very sorry.
- LucíaNo te preocupes, Daniel.Don't worry, Daniel.
- Daniel¿Puedes esperar hasta mañana?Can you wait until tomorrow?
- LucíaSí, no hay problema.Yes, there is no problem.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
