Japanese Word: Daijoubu /daidʒoːbu/

In many situations, Japanese people tend to use the phrase 大丈夫ですDaijoubu desu /daidʒoːbu desu/. Even though this phrase can be translated as “no problem”and “OK,” it can be ambiguous because the word can also mean “yes” or “no.”

Examples of 大丈夫 Daijoubu /daidʒoːbu/

Positive 大丈夫 Daijoubu

A: Are you 大丈夫? (daidʒoːbu desu ka?)

B: Yes, I’m 大丈夫 (daidʒoːbu desu)

In the scenario described, person A inquires, “Are you OK?”, to which person B responds, “I’m OK.”

A: Is this 大丈夫?

B: Yes, It’s 大丈夫, I’ll do it.

In the aforementioned scenario, A was making preparations for B and asked for confirmation. B indicated that everything was satisfactory and gave the go-ahead by saying “OK”.

Negative 大丈夫 Daijoubu

A: Do you need a bag?

B: No, 大丈夫です/daidʒoːbu desu/

This conversation usually happens in convenience stores. When the clerk A asks if the customer B wants a plastic bag and they decline, saying 大丈夫です /daijoubu desu/ indicates that they do not need any bags.

A: Do you need my help?

B: No, I’m 大丈夫です/daidʒoːbu desu/

When you decline someone’s help, you can say 大丈夫です which means “I can do it by myself,” or “No thank you.” If you want to learn more basic Japanese, please visit the below post, too.