Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 沒什麼 / 没什么 | méishénme |
| 沒事 / 没事 | méishì |
In Chinese, the translation for "nothing" changes based on whether you are describing the absence of a thing, responding to a thank you or stating that you are unhurt or that a situation is not a problem. 沒什麼 / 没什么 is used to downplay the importance of an event or to indicate that nothing is wrong. 沒事 / 没事 is used to mean "no problem," "it doesn't matter" in response to an apology, or to communicate that you are fine or unhurt after a minor accident.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 沒什麼 / 没什么 is a contraction of 沒有什麼, which literally means "not have what".
Which one should you use?
Use 沒什麼 / 没什么 when you want to say "it's nothing" in response to a thank you or to downplay the significance of an event. In contrast, use 沒事 / 没事 to mean "it's nothing" in the sense of "no problem," "I'm fine," or "no matter" when someone apologizes to you.
How do you pronounce it?
méishénme
When do people say it?
When someone asks "What happened?" (怎麼了?), responding with 沒什麼 / 没什么 implies that nothing is wrong or that it is nothing.
Did you know?
- The character 沒 in 沒什麼 / 没什么 originally meant 'to sink' or 'to be submerged' in water before it became the standard word for 'not have'.
- In a social context, using 沒什麼 / 没什么 to downplay a favor can be a sign of modesty, which is a highly valued cultural trait in Chinese society.
- The character 沒 / 没 used in these phrases functions as a negation for 'to have', whereas the word for 'not' in other contexts is often 不 / 不.
Examples in context
- 我无事可做。I have nothing to do.
- 他没有时间参加会议。He has no time to attend the meeting.
- 没事，就在家休息。Nothing much, just resting at home.
- 别担心，这件事没什么。Don't worry, it's nothing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nothing” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
