How to say no problem in Chinese: 沒關係 (méi guānxi)

No problem, in the sense of it's okay, is 沒關係 in Chinese: méi guānxi in pinyin and ㄇㄟˊ ㄍㄨㄢ ˙ㄒㄧ in 注音. It is the usual reply to an apology: 沒 rises (second tone), 關 is high and level (first tone), and 係 is short and light.

沒關係méi guān xiㄇㄟˊ ㄍㄨㄢ ˙ㄒㄧit's okay; it doesn't matter

Standard and spoken

Our native speaker recorded 沒關係 twice: standard, slow and clear like a textbook, and spoken, at normal speed. Both lines are drawn on the same time scale.

Standardslow and clear

1.48 s

Spokennormal speed

0.92 s

In the standard recording, 沒 starts low and rises, 關 stays high, and 係 drops back to the middle, short and light.

In the spoken recording, she rises into 關 and stays up. 係 is quick and does not drop. A heavy drop at the end can sound unfriendly.

Syllable by syllable

沒méiSecond tone: start in the middle and rise. ei like the ay in may.
關guānFirst tone: high and level. uan sounds like wan.
係xiLight and short in this phrase. x like a soft sh.

Common mistakes

Using 沒關係 when someone asks you for a favour.Say 沒問題 (méi wèn tí) for yes, no problem.
Dropping heavily on the last syllable.Rise into 關 and stay up; keep 係 short.
Saying guan like gwan with a flat a.uan sounds like wan; the g is unaspirated, like a soft k.

Common phrases and replies

沒問題méi wèn tíno problem (I can do it)Agreeing to a request, not answering an apology.
沒事méi shìit's nothing; I'm fineCasual reply to sorry or to are you okay?
不要緊bú yào jǐnit doesn't matterAlso it's not serious.
沒關係，慢慢來méi guān xi, màn màn láiit's okay, take your timeA kind answer to someone who is late or slow.

Taiwan and mainland

Taiwan's dictionary gives 係 a full fourth tone in 關係 on its own (guānxì), but a light, neutral tone in 沒關係 (ㄇㄟˊ ㄍㄨㄢ ˙ㄒㄧ); in normal speech it is short either way. 沒事 and 不會 are very common casual replies in Taiwan.

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Questions

What is the difference between 沒關係 and 沒問題?

沒關係 answers an apology: it's okay, never mind. 沒問題 answers a request: no problem, sure, I can do that. Swapping them sounds odd.

Is 係 neutral or a fourth tone?

In 沒關係 it is neutral (méi guān xi) in both mainland and Taiwan dictionaries. Taiwan's dictionary gives a fourth tone only to 關係 on its own (guānxì). In the phrase it is short and unstressed.

How do I make it sound friendly?

Keep it light and let it end up high on 關. A slow 沒關係 that drops at the end can sound annoyed.