In Cantonese, 沒關係 (méi guānxi) is 唔緊要 (m4 gan2 jiu3), "it's not important". The rule: when someone says sorry, Hong Kong answers with 唔緊要 or 冇事, not a character-for-character copy of 沒關係. Fun detail: Mandarin also has 不要緊 (bú yàojǐn), and Cantonese uses the same pieces in the other order, 唔 + 緊要. Paste pinyin into the pinyin converter to check tone marks along the way.
| If you'd say (Mandarin) | Say (Cantonese) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 沒關係 méi guānxi (never mind) | 唔緊要 m4 gan2 jiu3 | The everyday reply to an apology |
| 不要緊 bú yàojǐn (it doesn't matter) | 唔緊要 m4 gan2 jiu3 | Same two pieces, swapped: 要緊 → 緊要 |
| 沒事 méishì (it's nothing, I'm fine) | 冇事 mou5 si6 | Also "I'm OK" after a fall or a scare |
| 沒問題 méi wèntí (no problem) | 冇問題 mou5 man6 tai4 | Agreeing to a request |
| 無所謂 wúsuǒwèi (I don't mind) | 冇所謂 mou5 so2 wai6 | "Either is fine" or "whatever"; tone of voice matters |
| 不客氣 bú kèqi (you're welcome) | 唔使客氣 m4 sai2 haak3 hei3 | The reply to thanks, not to sorry |
| Situation | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Someone bumps you and says 唔好意思 | 唔緊要 | Friendly, closes the moment |
| A friend apologises for being late | 唔緊要 / 冇事 | Either works; both mean "no harm done" |
| Someone asks if you're hurt | 冇事，冇事 | Doubling it is common and reassuring |
| "Can you send me the file?" | 冇問題 | Saying yes to a favour |
| "Where do you want to eat?" | 冇所謂，你揀啦 | "I don't mind, you choose"; the second half keeps it warm |
| Someone thanks you with 唔該 | 唔使唔該 | "No need to thank me"; see 唔該 vs 多謝 |
Answering an apology with 冇所謂. In Mandarin terms it is 無所謂, not 沒關係, and "whatever" is not what you want to say to someone who just said sorry. It can sound like you don't care about them, not that you've forgiven them. Keep 冇所謂 for choices (food, time, seats) and use 唔緊要 for apologies. Second slip: reading 沒 aloud as mut6 in conversation. It is the written reading; the spoken word is 冇.
More learner answers on the FAQ page; next Mandarin bridges: duìbuqǐ, xièxie, duōshao qián, or browse all Mandarin-to-Cantonese guides; classic mix-ups: 唔 vs 冇, 係 vs 喺, ni hao in Cantonese.
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