Nie ma sprawy.

Literally, it means There is no matter/case/problem.

• nie = not / no
• ma = has / there is
• sprawy = of a matter / of a case / of a problem

As a whole, though, it is an idiomatic expression, and in normal English it usually means:

• No problem
• It’s nothing
• Don’t mention it
• You’re welcome

So the literal meaning is useful for understanding the grammar, but the natural meaning is the important one in conversation.

This is a very common question.

In Polish, when talking about whether something exists or is present, Polish often uses ma / nie ma rather than jest in expressions like this.

So:

• Nie ma sprawy = There is no problem
• not something like Sprawa nie jest

This may feel strange to an English speaker, because ma normally means has, but in Polish nie ma is also used very naturally in the sense of there isn’t / there’s no.

Compare:

• Nie ma czasu = There is no time
• Nie ma pieniędzy = There is no money
• Nie ma problemu = There is no problem

Because after nie ma, Polish normally uses the genitive case.

The base form is:

• sprawa = matter / issue / problem

But after nie ma, it changes to the genitive singular:

• sprawy

So:

• sprawa → nominative
• sprawy → genitive

This is part of a broader Polish pattern:

• Jest problem = There is a problem

• Nie ma problemu = There is no problem

• Jest kawa = There is coffee
• Nie ma kawy = There is no coffee

So Nie ma sprawy is grammatically following a very normal rule.

Not exactly, but in this expression they overlap a lot.

• sprawa literally means something like matter, issue, case, business, or affair
• problem means problem

In Nie ma sprawy, sprawa works idiomatically in a way that English speakers usually translate as problem.

That is why Nie ma sprawy sounds like:

• No problem
• That’s fine
• It’s okay

You do not need to overthink the literal meaning too much here. It is best learned as a fixed phrase.

It is used in situations where English speakers might say:

• No problem
• Sure
• Don’t worry about it
• You’re welcome

For example:

1. After thanks

   • Dziękuję!
   • Nie ma sprawy.

2. When someone apologizes for a small thing

   • Przepraszam za spóźnienie.
   • Nie ma sprawy.

3. When agreeing to do something casual

   • Możesz mi pomóc?
   • Nie ma sprawy.

So it can respond both to thanks and to small apologies/requests.

It is usually neutral to informal.

It is very common in everyday speech and sounds natural in casual conversation. It is not rude, but it is also not the most formal option.

If you want something a bit more standard or polite after thank you, you might also hear:

• Proszę bardzo
• Nie ma za co

If you want something very casual, Nie ma sprawy is great.

So a good rule is:

• with friends, coworkers, everyday situations: Nie ma sprawy works very well
• in more formal customer-service or official situations: other phrases may sound more polished

They are very close.

• Nie ma sprawy = No problem
• Nie ma problemu = No problem

Both are common and natural. The difference is mostly one of wording, not meaning.

Very roughly:

• Nie ma sprawy can feel a little more idiomatic/fixed as a phrase
• Nie ma problemu is also extremely common and perhaps feels slightly more directly like no problem

In many everyday situations, they are interchangeable.

A simple English-friendly approximation is:

nyeh ma SPRA-vih

A bit more carefully:

• Nie sounds roughly like nyeh
• ma = ma
• sprawy = SPRA-vih

Notes:

• w in Polish is pronounced like English v
• the r is trilled or tapped
• stress falls on the second-to-last syllable of the whole phrase’s last word: spRAwy

So the natural rhythm is:

nie ma SPRAwy

Yes, absolutely.

If someone says:

• Dziękuję = Thank you

you can reply:

• Nie ma sprawy

This sounds like:

• No problem
• Don’t mention it
• You’re welcome

It is a very natural conversational reply.

Yes. That is another very common use.

If someone apologizes for something minor, Nie ma sprawy means:

• No problem
• That’s okay
• Don’t worry about it

For example:

• Przepraszam.
• Nie ma sprawy.

This works especially well for small inconveniences, not serious emotional situations.

Usually no.

This is important because the words may tempt you into a bad literal translation.

Nie ma sprawy is a fixed phrase meaning:

• No problem
• You’re welcome
• It’s okay

But English no matter often means different things, for example:

• No matter what happens...
• It doesn’t matter

Those would be translated differently in Polish, such as:

• nieważne
• bez względu na...
• wszystko jedno
  depending on context

So learn Nie ma sprawy as a set expression, not as a universal translation of matter-related English phrases.

You usually say the full phrase Nie ma sprawy.

You might also hear other similar expressions instead of changing this one:

• Spoko = cool / no worries
• Jasne = sure / of course
• Nie ma problemu = no problem
• W porządku = it’s okay / all right

But Nie ma sprawy itself is already short and fixed, so learners should generally use it as-is.

Yes — that is the best approach.

You can analyze it grammatically:

• nie = not
• ma = there is / has
• sprawy = genitive of sprawa

But in real life, Polish speakers use it as a ready-made phrase meaning:

• No problem
• You’re welcome
• It’s fine

So it is both:

1. grammatically understandable, and
2. best learned as a complete expression

That is often the easiest way to sound natural.