"Không sao đâu": how to say "it's okay" in Vietnamese

"Không sao đâu" means "it's okay", "no problem" or "don't worry about it" in Vietnamese. You say it to reassure someone, accept an apology or brush off a small mishap.

It's one of the kindest phrases a learner can know, because it smooths over all the little bumps of daily life.

What does each word mean?

• không: no, not
• sao: what, why, how; here it means something like "matter" or "problem"
• đâu: literally "where", but at the end of a sentence it adds emphasis to a negative, like "at all"

So the literal sense is close to "it's not a problem at all". The short version, không sao, means "it's fine" or "no matter". Adding đâu makes it warmer and more reassuring.

How do you pronounce it?

• không: level tone, roughly "khohm", with a breathy "kh" like clearing your throat softly and the "ông" closing with the lips together
• sao: level tone, "sow" (rhymes with "cow"). In the North, "s" is a plain "s"; some Southern speakers say it with a slight "sh".
• đâu: level tone, "dow" (rhymes with "now")

All together: "khohm sow dow", said evenly. Three level tones make it one of the easier phrases to pronounce.

When do you use "không sao đâu"?

• Accepting an apology: someone bumps into you and says sorry.
• Reassuring a worried friend: they're stressed about a small mistake.
• Brushing off a mishap: you spill a little water, and someone looks concerned.
• Declining fuss: someone offers to go out of their way for you.
• Comforting: a gentle "it's okay" when someone is upset.

How to make it more polite

Vietnamese adjusts politeness with pronouns and soft endings. "Không sao đâu" on its own is friendly and fine with peers. With elders or people you don't know, add a pronoun or ending:

• Dạ, không sao đâu ạ. Polite, for someone older. "Dạ" is a respectful "yes", and "ạ" is a polite ending.
• Không sao đâu anh. "It's okay" to a man slightly older than you.
• Không sao đâu chị. "It's okay" to a woman slightly older than you.
• Không sao đâu em. "It's okay" to someone younger.

The pronoun you choose depends on age and relationship, which is a whole topic in itself.

Example conversations

A: Xin lỗi, em đến muộn. ("Sorry, I'm late.") B: Không sao đâu. ("No problem.")

A: Ối, em làm đổ nước rồi! ("Oops, I spilled the water!") B: Không sao đâu, để chị lau. ("It's okay, let me wipe it.")

"Không sao đâu. Ổn mà."

In Duma Meow, my Vietnamese cartoon about four cats, one line is "Không sao đâu. Ổn mà." ("It's okay. It's fine."). Ổn means stable or fine, and mà adds a reassuring "really" feel. It's the Vietnamese equivalent of insisting everything is fine, which makes it perfect for a "this is fine" skit where things are clearly not fine. You can find the series on the Voiceover with jimwest405 channel.

That pairing is genuinely useful in real life too. "Ổn mà" on its own is a casual "I'm fine" or "it's all good".

Similar phrases

• Không có gì: "it's nothing", the usual reply to "thank you", and a common reply to an apology too.
• Không có chi: the Southern-leaning version of "không có gì".
• Đừng lo: "don't worry".
• Không sao cả: "it doesn't matter at all", a little firmer.
• Ổn rồi: "it's okay now".

Be careful not to mix up "không sao đâu" (it's no problem) with "không có gì" (it's nothing / you're welcome). In practice there's overlap, and both work after an apology, but "không có gì" is the standard reply to "cảm ơn" (thank you).

A note on tone

Like "it's okay" in English, "không sao đâu" can be warm or sarcastic. Said with a smile, it's comforting. Said through gritted teeth with a sigh, it means the opposite. If you add haizz before it, people will understand you're being brave rather than truly relaxed.

Practice it

Next time someone apologizes to you, even in English, think "không sao đâu" in your head. Say it out loud a few times with level, even tones until it feels automatic. For more everyday phrases, see how to say "wait a moment" and the cat voice test in what "ham chơi" means.

When in doubt, a soft "không sao đâu" with a smile is almost always the right reply to a small apology.