Spanish expression · Updated October 10, 2026

No pasa nada

No pasa nada means “no worries” or “it's fine”. You say it when someone apologises, when something small goes wrong, or to calm someone down. Literally it's “nothing is happening”. It's understood everywhere and very common in Spain, where it's almost a national motto. Don't confuse it with de nada, which answers “thank you”.

How people really use it

Someone spills a drink.

1. Camila

   ¡Ay, perdón! Te manché la camisa.

   Oh, sorry! I got your shirt dirty.

2. Andrés

   No pasa nada, es vieja.

   No worries, it's an old one.

Running late.

1. Mateo

   Perdón, llegué quince minutos tarde. Había tráfico.

   Sorry, I'm fifteen minutes late. There was traffic.

2. Lucía

   No pasa nada, yo también acabo de llegar.

   It's fine, I just got here too.

Calming a nervous friend before an exam.

1. Sofía

   ¿Y si me pongo en blanco?

   What if my mind goes blank?

2. Diego

   No pasa nada. Respiras, lees la pregunta otra vez y sigues.

   It's OK. You breathe, read the question again and keep going.

🤷 Depende del País

No pasa nada works in every country. Some places have a favourite alternative.

• 🇪🇸 Spain: Constant. No pasa nada is the default reply to any apology.
• 🇲🇽 Mexico: No pasa nada, or no te preocupes (“don't worry”). Also está bien.
• 🇨🇴 Colombia: Tranquilo / tranquila (“relax”) or no pasa nada.
• 🇦🇷 Argentina: No pasa nada, or todo bien (“all good”), which we say all day.

Register and sound

Register. Neutral. Fine with friends, coworkers and strangers. With a client, no se preocupe (formal “don't worry”) is more polished.

Sounds like. no-PAH-sah-NAH-dah. In fast speech it runs together: “nopasanada”.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between no pasa nada and de nada?

De nada answers “thank you” (“you're welcome”). No pasa nada answers “sorry” (“no worries”). Mixing them up is one of the most common learner slips.

Can no pasa nada mean “nothing is happening”?

Yes, literally: aquí nunca pasa nada means “nothing ever happens here”. Context tells you which one you're hearing.

Is no pasa nada the same as no problem?

Very close. No hay problema (“no problem”) also exists, and both answer an apology. No pasa nada sounds a little warmer.