Ce n’est pas grave: how to say “it’s okay” in French

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated 17 October 2026 · About the library

Reply to a small apology with ce n’est pas grave, recognise casual c’est pas grave, and add a useful next step. Five exchanges and a short quiz.

B1
10 phrases
5 situations
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In short

Ce n’est pas grave means “it’s not serious” or, after a small apology, “it’s okay / no big deal”. In casual speech you will also hear C’est pas grave, with ne left out. Add a practical sentence when something still needs fixing.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A friend offers a cloth after coffee spills on a café table. — A small spill is a moment for ce n’est pas grave. Illustration: Atelier

Five minutes late

A friend apologises. You have time, so the reassurance fits.

The other personDésolée, j’ai cinq minutes de retard.Sorry, I’m five minutes late.

YouCe n’est pas grave, on a encore le temps.It’s okay, we still have time.

A missing date

Reassure the person and ask for the correction in the same reply.

The other personJ’ai oublié la date dans le message.I forgot the date in the message.

YouCe n’est pas grave. Tu peux l’ajouter avant l’envoi ?No big deal. Can you add it before sending?

A declined invitation

The other person feels bad about being unavailable. Offer another day.

The other personJe suis désolé, je ne peux pas venir vendredi.I’m sorry, I can’t come on Friday.

YouCe n’est pas grave. On se voit samedi ?That’s okay. Shall we meet on Saturday?

A casual reply between friends

The missing ne makes the wording conversational. Keep the full form in a careful written reply.

The other personJ’ai mal compris ta question.I misunderstood your question.

YouC’est pas grave, je vais la reformuler.It’s okay, I’ll rephrase it.

When you want the concern taken seriously

You can ask the listener to hear you out. Here a quick reassurance comes too soon.

The other personCe n’est pas grave, tu trouveras autre chose.It’s no big deal, you’ll find something else.

YouPour moi, c’est important. J’aimerais en parler.It matters to me. I’d like to talk about it.

How do you say “it’s okay” in French?

Choose what you want to reassure them about

French	Meaning	What it adds
Ce n’est pas grave.	It’s okay.	Accepts a small problem or apology.
Ce n’est pas grave pour moi.	It’s not a problem for me.	Names your own position.
Ce n’est pas si grave.	It’s not that serious.	Softens how serious something seems.
Ce n’est pas grave, mais…	It’s okay, but…	Introduces something that still matters.

In this expression, grave stays singular: Ce n’est pas grave. With a noun, it agrees: une erreur grave, des erreurs graves. The same adjective means “low-pitched” in une voix grave; the reassurance is a separate useful phrase.