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Questions & Answers about Das ist mir egal.
Why doesn't this sentence use the word ich if it means "I don't mind"?
In English, we use "I" as the subject, but German flips the structure. The subject here is das (that). The sentence literally translates to "That is equal to me" or "That is all the same to me."
Why do we use mir instead of mich?
This phrase requires the dative case because it describes how a situation feels to someone. You are expressing that the situation doesn't matter to you, so you must use the dative pronoun mir (to me) rather than the accusative mich.
What does the word egal literally mean?
Egal comes from French and literally means "equal." In this context, it means that all available options are "equal" to you, so you do not have a preference.
Does Das ist mir egal sound rude, like saying "I don't care"?
It depends entirely on your tone of voice! It can be a very relaxed and polite way to say "I don't mind" when someone asks if you prefer tea or coffee. However, if you say it aggressively, it translates to a harsh "I don't care!"