''No problem'' is an English expression, used as a response to ''
thanks'' (among other functions). It is regarded by some as a less formal alternative to ''
you're welcome
You're welcome is a phrase used to acknowledge an expression of gratitude.
You're Welcome may also refer to:
* ''You're Welcome'' (Wavves album), 2017, or the title track
* ''You're Welcome'' (A Day to Remember album), 2021
* ''You're Welcome! ...
'', which shares the same function.
Informality
Some people find the expression, particularly when employed in the service industry, to be rude, implying that a reasonable request could have been received as problematic or unwelcome. However, in the culture of younger Americans, ''no problem'' is often used as a more conversational alternative to ''you're welcome''.
It is widely believed that younger speakers especially favor ''no problem'' over ''you're welcome'', and empirical research has corroborated this belief.
No problemo
"No problemo" is "a popular elaboration" of "no problem" also used and popularized in
North American English
North American English (NAmE, NAE) is the most generalized variety of the English language as spoken in the United States and Canada. Because of their related histories and cultures, plus the similarities between the pronunciations (accents), v ...
.
The expression is sometimes used as an instance of "pseudo-
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
" or
Mock Spanish
Mock Spanish is a loaded term used to describe a variety of Spanish-inspired phrases used by speakers of English. Spanish-inspired phrases are generally used in a humorous way, but at least one person has asserted that it could lead to unfavorabl ...
. An early example appears in a 1959 edition of the ''American Import and Export Bulletin'', with an advertisement stating: "Foreign shipping is No Problemo".
[''American Import and Export Bulletin - Volumes 50-51'' (1959), p. 278.] Its usage as a Spanish expression is incorrect; a correct translation would be , or . Many Spanish words from Latin roots that have English
cognate
In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymology, etymological ancestor in a proto-language, common parent language. Because language c ...
s have an ''-o'' in Spanish from the masculine Latin suffix ''-us'', such as "insect" (), "pilot" (), and "leopard" (); however, "problem" belongs to the group of words ending with an ''a'' in Spanish that have a similar English counterpart, such as "poet" (), "ceramic" () and "rat" (). In the case of , this is because it has a Greek 'ma' ending, and as such is among the Iberian words ending in 'ma', such as ''tema'', which is in fact
masculine
Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors con ...
.
In the
constructed languages
A constructed language (sometimes called a conlang) is a language whose phonology, grammar, and vocabulary, instead of having developed naturally, are consciously devised for some purpose, which may include being devised for a work of fiction. ...
of
Esperanto
Esperanto ( or ) is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Created by the Warsaw-based ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, it was intended to be a universal second language for international communi ...
and
Ido
Ido () is a constructed language derived from Reformed Esperanto, and similarly designed with the goal of being a universal second language for people of diverse backgrounds. To function as an effective ''international auxiliary language'', I ...
, the word "problem" translates as "problemo". However, the etymology of the expression's use in the English language cannot be traced to either of these languages.
See also
*
No worries
''No worries'' is an expression seen in English meaning "do not worry about that", "that's all right", "forget about it" or "sure thing". It is similar to the American English "''no problem''". The phrase is widely used in Australian speech and ...
*
Hakuna matata
Footnotes
References
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External links
{{Wiktionary, no problem, no problemo
IMDb quotes
English phrases
American slang