Definition

1. Phrase (expressing indifference or disregard):
   • To ignore / to pay no attention to: Used to indicate a deliberate choice to disregard someone or something, often because of annoyance, disagreement, or a sense of futility.
   • To leave someone/something to their own devices / to let someone be: Expresses a decision to stop interfering, caring for, or worrying about a person or situation.
   • (As an interjection) "Whatever!" / "Never mind!" / "Too bad!": A standalone exclamation expressing resignation, dismissal, or that the speaker does not care about the outcome.

Usage Examples

• As a verb phrase (followed by an object):
  • Tôi sẽ mặc kệ những lời chỉ trích đó. (I will ignore those criticisms.)
  • Cô ấy mặc kệ đứa con đang khóc. (She left the crying child to its own devices.)
• As a standalone interjection:
  • "Anh ấy không muốn nghe lời khuyên của tôi." – "Thì mặc kệ anh ta!" ("He doesn't want my advice." – "Then just let him be!")
  • Mặc kệ! Việc đó không quan trọng. (Whatever! That's not important.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often carries a tone of frustration, defiance, or cold indifference. It is more casual and can sound slightly harsh or vulgar compared to more neutral terms like "bỏ qua" (to overlook).
• It can be used to describe abandoning someone to face the consequences of their own actions.
  • Hãy mặc kệ nó tự giải quyết vấn đề của mình. (Let him deal with his own problem.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mặc (v): to wear; but in compounds, it can mean "to let be" (e.g., mặc cho, mặc dù).
• Kệ (v, colloquial): to ignore, to not care about. "Kệ" alone is a more casual, shortened form of "mặc kệ."
  • Kệ nó đi! (Just forget about it!/Leave it be!)

Synonyms

• Ignore: to refuse to take notice of.
• Disregard: to pay no attention to.
• Leave alone / Let be: to stop bothering or interfering with.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Mặc kệ đời: To be indifferent to life's circumstances; to adopt a "couldn't-care-less" attitude.
  • Sau thất bại, anh ta sống mặc kệ đời. (After the failure, he lived without a care in the world.)
• Mặc kệ xác: A stronger, more vulgar variant emphasizing total disregard, akin to "to hell with it."
  • Nó muốn thế thì mặc kệ xác nó! (If he wants it that way, then to hell with him!)