What does 不要紧 mean in Chinese?

不要紧 (bù yào jǐn) means "unimportant; not serious; it doesn't matter; never mind; it looks all right, but" in Chinese. The new HSK exam tests it at HSK 5.

How do you pronounce 不要紧?

不要紧 is pronounced "bù yào jǐn" in Mandarin Chinese. It is made up of 3 syllables.

What HSK level is 不要紧?

不要紧 is an HSK 5 word on the new HSK exam syllabus. It is HSK 5 on both the old and the new exam.

What characters make up 不要紧?

不要紧 is made up of the characters 不, 要, 紧. Each character has its own meaning and can appear in other words.

How do you write 不要紧?

You can practice writing 不要紧 using our stroke order tool.

不要紧 (bù yào jǐn), unimportant

不要紧

bù yào jǐn

unimportant; not serious; it doesn't matter; never mind

HSK 5

Traditional: 不要緊

Characters in This Word

不要紧

Definitions

unimportant
not serious
it doesn't matter
never mind
it looks all right, but

Example Sentences

没关系，迟到一点不要紧，安全最重要。

Méi guānxi, chídào yìdiǎn búyàojǐn, ānquán zuì zhòngyào

It's okay, being a little late doesn't matter, safety is most important

Related Words

不打紧(bù dǎ jǐn)· unimportant

→

二元论(èr yuán lùn)· dualism, belief that the universe is made of two different substance (e.g. mind and matter or good and evil)

→

天经地义(tiān jīng dì yì)· lit. heaven's law and earth's principle (idiom); fig. right and proper

→

心结(xīn jié)· a matter that gnaws at one's mind

→

HSK levels

New HSK exam: HSK 5
HSK 2.0: HSK 5
HSK Lord study list: HSK 4 list

不要紧: HSK 5 on both the old and the new exam. See where your old level lands

New exam levels follow the CLEC syllabus released 15 November 2025. The first official sitting is announced for 13 December 2026. HSK 7-9 is one advanced band.

On the new HSK 5 exam

Studying for HSK 5? Keep 不要紧 with the rest of your level.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.