One of the most frustrating things when learning Spanish is not being able to find the right words to speak your mind. For that reason, we’ve compiled a list of 11 different expressions and ways to say ‘I don’t care’ in Spanish.
The expressions in this list are very common among Spanish speakers. Read the descriptions carefully since some of these phrases may be too informal or perceived as too rude. Additionally, we’ll let you know when it’s appropriate for you to use one of these phrases.
Keep in mind that for this type of expressions, the context and your tone of voice can make a difference between being firm but gentle, or being rude 😉
1.No me importa – I don’t care
No me importa is the direct translation of ‘I don’t care’. As a result, this Spanish expression is the most standard way to say ‘I don’t care’. Just like in English, your tone of voice, as well as the context, will determine if this expression is perceived as disrespectful.
No me importa lo que hagan tus amigos, me importas tú.
I don’t care what your friends do, I care about you.
Anda, toma el dinero, no me importa si no me puedes pagar pronto.
Come on, take the money, I don’t care if you can’t pay me back soon.
Te dije que no me importa lo que tengas que decirme, ¡ya déjame en paz!
I told you that I don’t care what you have to say to me, leave me alone!
Take Note: Notice that, depending on the circumstances, no me importa can express anger or empathy. Additionally, this expression can only be used for ‘Yo’, if you want to use it for another person, you’ll need to change me for the correct indirect pronoun.
Mi hermana está harta de tus mentiras, ya no le importa lo que tengas que decir.
My sister is tired of your lies, she doesn’t care what you have to say anymore.
2. Me vale – I don’t give a damn / I don’t care
In colloquial Mexican Spanish, me vale is one of the most common phrases to express that something is not important for you. Depending on the situation, ‘me vale’ could be either translated as ‘I don’t give a damn’ or ‘I don’t care’. When using this expression keep in mind that:
- Depending on the context, ‘me vale’ may express anger or frustration.
- It’s used in informal contexts.
- Adults can use it with younger people, but not the other way around because it’s rude.
- It’s only popular in Mexico.
¿Matt vio cuando me caí? Ay, ni modo, ¡me vale!
Matt saw when I fell? Oh, well, I don’t care!
¡Me vale que te estén esperando! Te dije que no vas a ir.
I don’t give a damn if they’re waiting for you! I told you that you’re not going.
¡Déjalos que digan lo que quieran! Me vale lo que piense la gente.
Let them say what they want! I don’t give a damn about what people think.
Take Note: Me vale is a strong expression to say ‘I do not care’, make sure you use it in the right context. Moreover, ‘me vale’ has other variations that are used as a curse word.
3. Me da igual – I don’t mind / It’s all the same to me
When it comes to saying I don’t care in Spanish, me da igual may be one of the most gentle phrases. This expression is closer in meaning to ‘It’s all the same to me’ or ‘I don’t mind’. Just like any other expression from this list, making sure that ‘me da igual’ doesn’t come off very rude will depend on your tone of voice.
Si quieres ir a un restaurante caro, me da igual, es tu dinero.
I don’t mind if you want to go to an expensive restaurant, it’s your money.
Las chavas de la escuela son muy tontas, por eso me da igual lo que piensen.
The girls at school are very silly, that’s why I don’t mind what they think.
‘Me da igual’ is commonly used to express indifference or that you don’t have a specific preference for a situation.
| Spanish | English |
| Tus amigos: ¿Encargamos una pizza o unos tacos? | Your friends: Should we order a pizza or tacos? |
| Tú: Lo que ustedes quieran, me da igual. | You: Whatever you want, it’s the same to me. |
| Spanish | English |
| Tu novia: ¿Qué quieres hacer el sábado? | Your girlfriend: What do you want to do on Saturday? |
| Tú: Me da igual, tú elige. | You: You choose, it’s all the same to me. |
4. Me importa poco – I couldn’t care less
Even though me importa poco can be used in formal circumstances, this phrase expresses a lot of frustration or anger in Spanish. As a result, you want to use it only when you’re fed up with a certain situation. In this context, ‘me importa poco’ is closer in meaning to ‘I don’t care’ or ‘I couldn’t care less’.
La verdad me importa poco si me despiden, ya estoy harto de este trabajo.
To be honest, I couldn’t care less if I got fired, I’m sick of this job.
Me importa poco lo que quieras, ¡estás castigado y no vas a ir a esa fiesta!
I couldn’t care less about what you want, you’re grounded and you’re not going to that party
Take Note: ‘Me importa poco’ literally means ‘I care little’, as a result, you may hear this expression in other contexts that are not related to saying ‘I don’t care’.
Additionally, ‘me importa poco’ has the following variation:
No me importa ni un poco tu opinión.
I couldn’t care less about your opinion.
5. Me importa un pepino – I don’t give a damn
Me importa un pepino is one of the most common idioms to say I don’t care in Spanish. This expression could be either translated as ‘not give a damn’ or ‘couldn’t care less’ and it expresses a lot of frustration or anger. ‘Me importa un pepino’ is so popular that Spanish speakers have many variations that consist of removing pepino (cucumber) and replacing it with one of these words:
| Bledo | Amaranth |
| Cacahuate | Peanut |
| Rábano | Radish |
| Comino | Cumin |
| Carajo | Damn |
¡Ya te dije que me importa un pepino! ¡Necesito mi dinero ya!
I already told you that I don’t give a damn! I need my money now!
Estoy tan cansada que las calificaciones me importan un cacahuate.
I’m so tired that I couldn’t care less about the grades.
¡Me importa un bledo el coche! Lo importante es que estás bien.
I don’t give a damn about the car! What matters is that you’re fine.
6. Me Da lo Mismo – I don’t care / It doesn’t matter
Me da lo mismo is another Spanish expression to say ‘I don’t care’. It is not as rude or aggressive as other phrases. On top of being used with this meaning, you can also use ‘me da lo mismo’ to express that you don’t have a preference for a certain situation or proposal.
A mí me da lo mismo lo que digan, pero sé que a ti sí te importa.
I don’t care what people say, but I know that you do.
No tengo nada que hacer mañana, entonces, la hora que sea me da lo mismo.
I don’t have anything to do tomorrow, so the time doesn’t matter to me.
Me da lo mismo lo que haya dicho tu papá, te estoy diciendo que no vas a ir.
I don’t care about what your dad said, I’m telling you that you’re not going.
Take Note: In order to use ‘me da lo mismo’ without being rude, you need to need to pay attention to your tone of voice.
7. No me interesa – I don’t care / I’m not interested
Even though ‘no me interesa’ is the direct translation of ‘I’m not interested’, it can also be used to say ‘I don’t care’. ‘No me interesa’ is a standard expression, as a result, you can use it in all types of situations. Unlike other expressions, this phrase can be used with a polite tone of voice or some other words of courtesy to avoid being rude.
Señorita, no me interesan sus excusas, ¡quiero soluciones!
Miss, I don’t care about your excuses, I want solutions!
Mira, la verdad no quiero ser grosera, pero no me interesa tu opinión.
Look, I don’t want to be rude, but I’m not interested in your opinion.
Ya no me interesa sacar buenas calificaciones, lo que quiero es terminar.
I don’t care about getting good grades, I just want to finish.
8. Me da lo mismo 8 que 80 – It’s the same to me
Me da lo mismo ocho que ochenta is a common Spanish idiom that could be translated as ‘It’s the same to me’ or simply ‘I couldn’t care less’. Although it could be a synonym of ‘me da igual’, me da lo mismo ocho que ochenta is more informal and it may be considered a slightly more rude or impolite. In fact, this expression implies indifference about a situation.
Hagan lo que quieran, a mí me da lo mismo ocho que ochenta.
Do whatever you want, it’s the same to me.
Ya dime qué quieres que haga, me da lo mismo ocho que ochenta.
Just tell me what you want me to do, I couldn’t care less.
Si ya te quieres mudar está bien, hijo, me da lo mismo ocho que ochenta.
If you want to move out it’s fine, son, it’s the same to me.
9. Ni me va ni me viene – I don’t really care / It doesn’t matter
Ni me va ni me viene is a stronger Spanish phrase that you can use to say that you don’t care about something. On top of expressing this feeling, ‘ni me va ni me viene’ also implies that you’re not affected by a certain situation or behaviour. It could be translated as ‘it doesn’t matter’ or ‘I don’t really care’.
A mí lo que tú pienses ni me va ni me viene.
What you think it doesn’t matter to me.
No sé porqué está enojada Elisa, pero la verdad ni me va ni me viene.
I don’t know why Elisa is mad, but to be honest I don’t really care.
| Spanish | English |
| Tu amigo: ¿Escuchaste que la maestra va a reprobar a todos porque alguien robó el examen? | Your friend: Did you hear that the teacher is going to fail every one because somebody stole the test? |
| Tú: A mí ni me va ni me viene. Yo no vine ese día. | You: I don’t really care. I wasn’t here that day. |
10. No me da ni frío ni calor – Not bothered in the slightest
No me da frío ni calor also expresses your indifference about some circumstances. As other idioms, this expression cannot be translated literally, but it’s close in meaning to ‘not bother in the slightest’ or ‘I couldn’t care less’. Even though it looks very similar to ‘ni me va ni me viene’, ‘no me da frío ni calor’ is slightly more casual and a little more straightforward.
Podemos comer lo que ustedes quieran, no me da frío ni calor.
We can eat whatever you want, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest.
Mi hermana perdió mi cartera, pero la verdad no me da ni frío ni calor.
My sister lost my wallet, but to be honest, I couldn’t care less.
Todos están preocupados porque tenemos nuevo jefe, pero a mí no me da ni frío ni calor.
Everybody is worried because we have a new boss, but I couldn’t care less about it.
11. ¡Qué importa! – It doesn’t matter
¡Qué importa! is probably the lighter expression from this list. This expression downplays a situation or behavior that is bothering you or someone else. It could be translated as ‘It doesn’t matter’. As well as being more polite, ‘¡qué importa!’ is perfect for both informal and formal conversations.
¡Qué importa lo que diga la gente! ¡Tú diviértete!
It doesn’t matter what people say! Just have fun!
¡Bah! ¡Qué importa si ellas no quieren ir! ¡Vamos nosotras!
Bah! It doesn’t matter if they don’t want to come! Let’s you and I go!
Los chicos nuevos son muy latosos, pero ¡qué importa! Sólo los veo por unas horas.
The new boys are very annoying, but it doesn’t matter! I just have to see them for a few hours.
Take Note: Unlike other expressions, qué importa doesn’t need to be conjugated.
Wrapping Up
Being able to express your feelings in Spanish not only will help you improve your fluency but also it will allow you to speak your mind when needed. For that reason, in this list, we provided you with 11 ways to say I don’t care in Spanish.
When using these expressions and phrases, keep in mind that some of them may be too mordant or sound too harsh, so make sure you choose the right expression for the situation. Additionally, the expressions in this list are conjugated for the first person. Therefore, if you want to express that someone doesn’t care, you’ll need to change me for the correct indirect pronoun.
Now, you’re ready to go out there and start applying these phrases and if you make a mistake, ¡qué importa!