Want to say "I don't care" in Portuguese? Here in Brazil we mostly say não ligo, não me importo, and tô nem aí, and when you mean "it doesn't matter to me which one," the most natural choice is tanto faz, our version of "whatever." The real trick is knowing how polite or how blunt you want to sound, because the same idea can come across as easygoing or downright rude.
Below I'll walk you through the 12 ways we actually say it in Brazil, from polite options like "por mim tudo bem" to rude ones like "tô pouco me lixando," with real example sentences so you know exactly when to use each one without putting your foot in your mouth. These are the expressions you'll hear on the street, in songs, and all over Brazilian social media.
One thing that trips up a lot of learners: "não me importa" is correct Portuguese, but we rarely say it in everyday conversation. What sounds natural is "não me importo" when something doesn't bother you, and "não importa" when something simply doesn't matter, just like "it doesn't matter" in English.
Video: Ways to Say I Don't Care in Portuguese
In this video I go over the different ways to say I don't care in Portuguese with the pronunciation and tone we use in Brazil, because here intonation changes everything: the exact same phrase can sound relaxed or really rude.
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It doesn't matter in Portuguese: não importa or não me importo?
Não importa is how we say "it doesn't matter" in Portuguese when something isn't relevant in general, while não me importo is what we say in Brazil when something doesn't bother you personally. The difference is the pronoun: with "me," the verb becomes "importar-se," which means to care about something yourself.
"Não me importa" is also correct and perfectly understood, but it sounds more formal or written; in conversation we almost always say "não me importo" or "não ligo." And if you just don't mind either way, the most natural answer is "tanto faz."
- Não importa o que eles pensam, eu vou viajar mesmo assim.
- Eu não me importo de esperar mais um pouco.
- Pra mim tanto faz, você escolhe o restaurante.
There's another word we Brazilians use all the time to say "it doesn't matter" or "I'll do it anyway," and it's in this post: 6 ways to use MESMO in Portuguese.
Phrases to Say I Don't Care in Portuguese
The phrases to say I don't care in Portuguese range from very polite to very rude, so I split them into formal and informal. If you're at work or with people you don't know well, stick to the formal ones; save the informal ones for your friends.
Formal
These are the polite ways to say I don't care in Portuguese: they work for saying something doesn't bother you or that it's fine by you, without sounding cold. They're the safest choice with your boss, a client, or your partner's family.
POR MIM TUDO BEM
"Por mim tudo bem" means "it's fine by me" or "no problem on my end," and it's the friendliest way to say you don't mind something. We use it to agree to a plan or give permission without raising any objection.
- Por mim tudo bem se você ficar com a gente até mais tarde.
NÃO ME IMPORTO
"Não me importo" is the most natural translation of "I don't care" when you mean "I don't mind" or "I'm okay with that." It comes from the verb "importar-se," which is why we Brazilians say "eu não me importo" much more often than "não me importa."
- Na verdade não me importo se você terminou uma relação há pouco tempo.
DE BOA
"De boa" is a very Brazilian expression that means "no worries," "no problem," or "sure thing." It's informal but not rude at all, so you can use it with almost anyone to say something doesn't bother you.
- De boa, eu te empresto meu carro.
NÃO LIGO!
"Não ligo" means "I don't care" or "I don't give it much thought," and it comes from "ligar para algo," which in Brazil means to pay attention to something. It's neutral: it doesn't sound rude, but it makes it clear the subject doesn't affect you.
- Ela falou que não liga se casar com uma pessoa mais velha.
Informal
The informal ways to say I don't care in Portuguese are more direct, and several of them are actually rude, so only use them with friends or when you really want to put some distance between you and the other person. Heads up: with the wrong tone, any of these can sound like an insult.
TÔ NEM AÍ
"Tô nem aí" (short for "não estou nem aí") is the most common way in Brazil to say "I couldn't care less" or "whatever," with a touch of disdain. It's informal and you'll hear it all the time on the street, in songs, and in memes.
- - Você ficou com ciúmes quando o viu com sua amiga?
- Na verdade eu não tava nem aí pra ele na festa, foquei em curtir com o pessoal.
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POUCO ME LIXANDO
"Tô pouco me lixando" means you don't care about something at all, a lot like "I couldn't care less" or "I don't give a hoot." It's stronger than "tô nem aí," but it's still not a swear word.
- Eu tô pouco me lixando se você não quer se disciplinar, sua vida, sua responsabilidade.
CAGANDO E ANDANDO
"Tô cagando e andando" is a vulgar expression that means you couldn't care less about something, roughly "I don't give a crap." It's really crude, so you'll only hear it among close friends or in the middle of an argument.
- Pelo jeito que você tá contando parece que você tá cagando e andando pra decisão final né?
E EU COM ISSO?
"E eu com isso?" is the equivalent of "So what?" or "What's that got to do with me?" We use it to make it clear a problem isn't ours, and it sounds pretty curt.
- E eu com isso se você não souber resolver isso? É sua responsabilidade, dê um jeito.
Different ways to use JEITO in Portuguese.
KÉKI EU TENHO A VER COM ISSO? (o que é que)
"Kéki" is how we say "o que é que" fast in conversation, a bit like "whaddaya" for "what do you" in English, and "o que é que eu tenho a ver com isso?" means "what does that have to do with me?" It's a longer, more irritated version of "e eu com isso?".
- O que é que eu tenho a ver com isso? Procure uma solução, tudo isso é culpa sua.
The difference between Procurar, Buscar, Pesquisar, and Investigar.
Learn how to use TUDO and TODO in Portuguese.
PROBLEMA SEU
"Problema seu" means "that's your problem," and it's a blunt way of saying you don't care because it isn't your responsibility. It's not a swear word, but depending on your tone it can sound pretty rude.
- - E como é que você acha que eu vou conseguir fazer isso?
- Isso é problema seu.
How to use ACHAR in Portuguese.
TÔ POUCO ME FODENDO
"Tô pouco me fodendo" is the most vulgar way to say I don't care in Portuguese, a strong swear on the same level as "I don't give a f*ck" in English. It's better to understand it when you hear it than to use it.
- Eu tô pouco me fodendo se você não quiser viajar com a gente.
TANTO FAZ
"Tanto faz" means "whatever," "either way," or "it's all the same to me," and it's the best way to say you don't care which option someone picks. It's neutral, and we use it constantly in Brazil whenever someone asks us to choose between two things.
- - Você vai querer pizza doce ou salgada?
- Tanto faz.
The typical Brazilian foods you need to try.
On sinonimos.com.br you'll find several Portuguese synonyms related to "I don't care."
Saying "e eu com isso" is ruder, it's the same as saying "what does that have to do with me?".
Extra
These expressions don't mean "I don't care" anymore, they mean "go away" or "get lost": we use them when something or someone bothers us so much that we want them gone. I'm including them because they often show up in the same arguments, and I have a whole post with more ways to say GO AWAY in Portuguese.
SOME DAQUI
"Some daqui" means "get out of here" (literally "disappear from here"), and it's a pretty aggressive way to tell someone to leave.
- Some daqui, não quero te ver nunca mais na minha vida.
SAI FORA
"Sai fora" means "beat it," but we also use it to firmly turn something down, like "no way!" or "forget it."
- Sai fora cara, que tipo de proposta é essa? Você tá pensando que sou uma pessoa desonesta?
CAI FORA
"Cai fora" is almost the same as "sai fora": "go away" or "get lost," said in a direct and not very friendly way.
- Eu tentei bater um papo com ela mas só ouvi um "cai fora, não quero conhecer ninguém", fiquei sem palavras e voltei pra mesa com o pessoal.
27 expressions with BATER in Portuguese.
22 expressions with the verb CAIR in Portuguese
How to Say DON'T BOTHER ME in Portuguese
To say "don't bother me" in Portuguese, in Brazil we say "não me incomode" or "não me enche," and never "não me moleste," because "molestar" in Portuguese has a very serious meaning, close to "molest" in English.
Learn different ways to say DON'T BOTHER ME.
Insults in Portuguese
Depending on the situation, saying "I don't care" can sound rude.
Speaking of which, check out this video on Portuguese swear words.
In the full post you can hear the explanation of every swear word.
More resources to Learn Portuguese Faster
- [PDF] Learn Brazilian Portuguese – Complete Guide and Study Path
- How to Learn Brazilian Portuguese Faster (Practical Tips)
- How to Understand Spoken Portuguese More Easily
- How to Speak Portuguese with Confidence
- How to Read in Portuguese and Improve Comprehension
- How to Write in Portuguese Step by Step
- How Long Does It Take to Learn Portuguese?
