How can I translate the expression "I don't care" into Italian?

Question

In English we use the expression "I don't care" to express that we don't feel interest or concern about something. How can we say a similar expression in Italian? Google Translate gives "Non mi interessa", which I think it's "It doesn't interest me", so probably there are better translations. It would be interesting to learn a variety of idiomatic expressions which convey this sense that can be used in different situations.

Answer 1

You are correct, there are many nuances and idiomatic expressions used to translate "I don't care" in Italian.

1. Non m'importa & non m'interessa - are probably the most common and used
2. Non me ne frega (niente) - more colloquial (I don't give a damn)
3. Me ne infischio, me ne sbatto (I don't give a damn)
4. Chi se ne frega, chi se ne importa (who cares)
5. Non me ne importa un tubo (more idiomatic and informal)
6. Non me ne frega un fico secco (more idiomatic and informal)

I hope it helps,

Fabio

Answer 2

Although the expression "non mi interessa" translates literally to "it doesn't interest me," it can be used to say that you don't care about something. A word in Italian which has a corresponding equivalent in English does not necessarily carry the same meaning, particularly when used in an expression. There are other expressions that convey the same meaning as "I don't care." Among the most commonly used are:

1. "non m'importa"
2. "non ci tengo"

Here are a couple of good resources from the same Italian news publication, "Il Corriere della Sera."

1. https://dizionari.corriere.it/dizionario_italiano/index.shtml
2. https://dizionari.corriere.it/dizionario-modi-di-dire/index.shtml

The latter is particularly useful for expressions ("modi di dire").

Hope this helps,

Francesco