040 / 308
ドンマイ donmai
Don't worry about it.
What does donmai mean?
From the English don't mind. English speakers barely say it any more; Japanese says it constantly, and it is genuinely lovely.
Example
テスト残念だったね。ドンマイ！
Shame about the test. Don't sweat it!
Vibe
Who you can say this to, and how it lands.
Safe to use Fine in ordinary conversation.
The story behind donmai
ドンマイ comes from the English don't mind, and it arrived through sport. Baseball diamonds and school club grounds are where it settled: a fielder drops the ball, and the whole team shouts it before the ball has stopped rolling. That origin explains the tone. It is not consolation, it is a reset button, and standing around apologising is not part of the deal.
English speakers barely use don't mind this way any more, so the loan has effectively outlived its source. Japanese kept it, softened it, and now applies it to failed exams, spilled coffee and disastrous dates. It is one of the kindest words a language ever borrowed.
Get donmai in your pocket
ドンマイ is one of 308 words in YABAI, a Japanese culture snack for Android. Every word comes with its meaning, an example sentence, a vibe check and a story like the one above — in 13 languages, read aloud by your device. Paid app: no ads, no sign-up, no subscription.
