How to say “Never mind” in Korean – Dismissing concern

There are several ways to say “never mind” in Korean. The most common way is by saying 신경 쓰지 마세요 (singyeong sseuji maseyo).

In this article, we’re going to show you the two common scenarios of when you can say this phrase.A guy waving both of his arms

Read on to become a master of saying “never mind” in Korean!

“Never mind” in Korean

There are several ways to say “never mind” in Korean. We’ll cover two common scenarios. 

Scenario 1: Dismissing a concern

When dismissing a concern in Korean, there are two different ways to express this.

The first way to say this is 신경 쓰지 마세요 (singyeong sseuji maseyo). It can be used when dismissing concern or relevance. 

Sample sentence:

1. 왜 늦었는지 설명하지 않아도 돼요, 신경 쓰지 마세요, 안전하게 도착한 게 중요해요. (wae neujeonneunji seolmyeonghaji anado dwaeyo, singyeong sseuji maseyo, anjeonhage dochakan ge jungyohaeyo.)

You don’t have to explain why you were late, never mind, it’s important that you arrived safely.

If you’re talking to your friends or people you have a close relationship with, you can say it informally by using the phrase 신경 쓰지 마 (singyeong sseuji ma).

Sample sentences:

1. 그 남자의 말에 신경 쓰지 마.  (geu namjaui mare singyeong sseuji ma.)

Pay no mind to his words.

2. 신경 쓰지 마, 그 배우가 누구인지 모르겠지? (singyeong sseuji ma, geu baeuga nuguinji moreugetji?)

Never mind, it’s not like you know who that actor is.

3. 신경 쓰지 마, 내가 할게. (singyeong sseuji ma, naega halge.)

Never mind, I’ll do it.

The second way to say “never mind” when dismissing a concern in Korean is 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo).

Sample sentence:

1. 쏟았어요? 괜찮아요, 물이니까 금방 닦으면 돼요. (ssodasseoyo? gwaenchanayo, murinikka geumbang dakkeumyeon dwaeyo.)

Did you spill it? Never mind, it’s just water and can be wiped up quickly.

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Scenario 2: Retracting a statement or request

When retracting a statement or request, you can express “never mind” by saying 됐어요 (dwaesseoyo)

Sample sentences:

1. 충전기 좀 빌려줄래요? 아, 됐어요, 제 거 찾았어요. (chungjeongi jom billyeojullaeyo? a, dwaesseoyo, je geo chajasseoyo.)

Could you lend me a charger? Ah, never mind, I found mine.

2. 어제 무슨 일이 있었는데요… 아, 됐어요, 모르는 게 나을지도 몰라요. (eoje museun iri isseonneundeyott a, dwaesseoyo, moreuneun ge naeuljido mollayo.)

Something happened yesterday… Ah, never mind, it might be better not to know.

A girl with her arms crossed

How to remember “never mind” in Korean

To remember how to say “never mind” in Korean, we’ll create an English association for it. This can be any word, phrase, or image that helps you recall the Korean word and its meaning.

So how can we remember 신경 쓰지 마 (singyeong sseuji ma)? First, we’ll create a background story: Suzy is your baby sister, and her crying really stresses your mom. You want to comfort her, so you tell her it’s singing, not crying.

Never mind the Singing of Young Suzy Ma.

A girl doing the stop gesture

“Don’t worry about something” in Korean

One more way to say “never mind” in Korean is 걱정 말아요 (geokjeong marayo) – or 걱정 마 (geokjeong ma) when speaking informally. However, this one has a meaning closer to “don’t worry about something,” so you may not be able to use it in every situation.

Meanwhile, 신경 쓰지 마세요 (singyeong sseuji maseyo) can be used more broadly.

Sample sentence:

1. 걱정 말아요, 아무것도 아니에요.  (geokjeong marayo, amugeotdo anieyo.)

Never mind, it’s nothing.

Want more Korean phrases? Click here for a complete list!

A word of caution about Romanization

While you can study the words in this article by reading their romanized versions, it will come in handy for you to be able to read Hangeul if you ever wish to come to Korea. Hangeul is the Korean alphabet, and not difficult to learn. In fact, you can learn it in just 90 minutes.

After you’ve familiarized yourself with Hangeul, life in Korea will suddenly seem so much easier, and the country won’t appear so foreign to you. So, if you’re serious about learning Korean, why not learn Hangeul today?

What situation would you like to hear “never mind” used in? Let us know in the comments below!

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4 thoughts on “How to say “Never mind” in Korean – Dismissing concern”

  1. That’s really helpful! I really liked how you put an easy mnemonic to remember! I’m sure this phrase will certainly come in handy!

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