This expression has the same meaning as “It is okay with me if…” or “If something happens, it is okay with me”.
We use this expression to say that something will not make us angry or bother us. But it does not mean that we will be very happy either.
Look at the difference between these three sentences.
- I don’t want her to come to the party.
- I want her to come to the party.
- I don’t mind if she comes to the party.
The first and second sentences give strong opinions and a clear meaning. The last sentence is saying it is okay if she comes, but it also does not give a strong feeling that I want her to come.
Subject + don’t/doesn’t mind if + sentence
- I do not mind if you use my office for your meeting.
- I don’t mind if you call me names.
- Mark doesn’t mind if you sleep in his bedroom tonight.
- Tina doesn’t mind if you use this information in your report.
- I don’t mind if you don’t want to clean today. I can do it by myself.
- I don’t mind if it rains tomorrow. I want to stay home and read anyway.
- He doesn’t mind if we use his swimming pool while he is on vacation.
- They don’t mind if we come on Friday instead of Thursday.
- The author doesn’t mind if fans ask him questions after his speech.
- The children don’t mind if they can’t play outside. They like to play inside, too.
- We don’t mind if you want to play with us.
There is another sentence pattern that has the same meaning as the one above. It is less common, but we should still learn it.
I don’t mind + possessive pronoun + gerund…
- I don’t mind your coming to our dinner party.
- He doesn’t mind our using his car.
- They don’t mind my sleeping on their couch for a few days.
- I don’t mind his snoring.
- Sharon doesn’t mind the dog’s barking.
- Ben doesn’t mind the car making that loud sound.
Bonus Tips and Points
1. A key point to remember with this sentence pattern is that the person in the if-clause is different than the person who doesn’t mind.
- Mark doesn’t mind coming to the party.
(Mark doesn’t mind. Mark is also doing the action which is “coming to the party.) - Mark doesn’t mind if Tina comes to the party.
(Mark doesn’t mind. Tina is doing the action which is “coming to the party.)
2. When someone asks us a question like this, then it is possible to give a short answer. “No, I don’t mind” means it is okay. “Yes, I mind” means it is not okay.
A) Do you mind if I ask you a question?
B) No, I don’t mind. Ask me.
A) Do you mind if I ask you how old you are?
B) Yes, I mind. That is personal and I don’t want to say.
Real-World English Conversations
A) I’m thinking about go shopping downtown. I will take the bus.
B) I don’t mind if you take my car.
A) I don’t mind if you want to stay here until the storm stops.
B) Thank you so much. I hate driving in the rain.
A) My boss doesn’t mind if I come late.
B) Really?
A) Yes. He only cares about results.
A) My wife doesn’t mind if I stay out late with my friends.
B) My wife minds! She yells at me if I come home later than 9 pm.
A) Wow! I don’t know how you live that way.
B) I don’t mind because I usually don’t like to stay out late anyway.
A) We don’t mind if the children play in our yard.
B) Thank you. That is very kind of you.
A) Are you sure that it is okay if we use your sister’s art supplies?
B) She doesn’t mind. I asked her yesterday and she said it was okay.
Study these free English lessons to improve your English speaking. If you learn these common sentence patterns well, then your English speaking will improve greatly and you will be able to have fluent conversations in English in the near future! Study the lessons well, practice using them at home and in real life, and make sure to come back to review the material so you do not forget.
English Sentence Patterns for Speaking Index
