どっちでもいい I don’t mind either way.

Jul 28, 2024

A few days ago, one of my friends asked me about the difference between どっちでもいい (dotchidemo-ii) and どうでもいい (doudemo-ii). While they sound similar, there are subtle nuances between the two expressions. Let’s find out! 😎

どっちでもいい(dotchidemo-ii)

“Either is fine” or “I don’t mind either way.”,　”It's up to you.”

”どっちでもいい(dotchidemo-ii)” directly means “whichever” but is more closely understood as “either is fine” or “I’m okay with either option.” It indicates a willingness to go with any given choices without preference.

Example Sentence

A: 明日(あした)ヘリコプターで別荘(べっそう)行(い)く？それとも船(ふね)？
Are we going to the villa by helicopter tomorrow? Or by boat?
B: どっちでもいいよハニー。君(きみ)が選(えら)んで。
Either is fine, Honey. You can choose.

どうでもいい(doudemo-ii)

“I don’t care” or “It doesn’t matter.”

This phrase is for when you really couldn’t care less about the outcome. It can sound a bit "meh," so use どうでもいい sparingly to avoid accidentally giving off "I don't care" vibes and potentially ruffling feathers!

A: 明日(あした)ヘリコプターで別荘(べっそう)行(い)く？それとも船(ふね)？
Are we going to the villa by helicopter tomorrow? Or by boat?
B: どうでもいい。君(きみ)が選(えら)んで。 I don’t care. You can choose.
A: 全部（ぜんぶ）人任せ（ひとまかせ）にしないで！😡
Don't leave everything to me!😡

In summary, どっちでもいい expresses indifference between specific options, while どうでもいい expresses a lack of concern or interest about the matter in general🌱

今週も読んでくれてありがとう！また来週✌️!
Thanks for reading this newsletter! See you next week ✌️!