Japanese with Manga

Don't worry with すんな

Grammar Explanation: Contracting 〜る＋な to 〜んな

Manga panel from 俺物語!! showing example of Don't worry with すんな.
俺物語!! » Volume 6 » Page 56

Takeo takes his pregnant mother to the hospital, as she’s getting close to delivery. Once there, she gives Takeo and his friend Suna a list of things to take care of during her stay.

母(かあ)さん:
「大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)から心配(しんぱい)すんな」
“I'll be fine, so don't worry.”
Literal: “Because I'll be okay, don't worry.”

Key Points

1すんな = contraction of するな (“don’t do”)
  • すんな is a casual spoken contraction of するな (the prohibitive form: “don’t do X”).
  • The full form here would be: 心配(しんぱい)するな “Don’t worry”
  • Pattern: 〜る ＋ な becomes 〜んな (drop る, add んな)
2Why this contraction sounds casual
  • The prohibitive な itself is already informal/casual (more direct than ないで).
  • The contraction 〜んな makes it even more colloquial and abrupt.
  • This is common in everyday speech, especially among family or close friends.
3心配(しんぱい)する = “to worry”
  • 心配(しんぱい) means “worry” or “concern” (noun).
  • 心配(しんぱい)する turns it into a verb: “to worry”.
  • Other examples: 勉強(べんきょう)する (“to study”), 準備(じゅんび)する (“to prepare”).
4から adds reasoning
  • 大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)だから = “because I’ll be fine”
  • The から connects the reason to the command that follows
  • “I’ll be fine, so (therefore) don’t worry.”

Vocabulary

(Worry)

心配(しんぱい) means worry, concern, or anxiety. It is used when the mind is occupied by fear that something may go wrong, and it often works with する as “to worry”.

(All right)

大丈夫(だいじょうぶ) means all right, okay, safe, or problem-free. Historically it could mean a great or admirable man, but in modern Japanese it is a broad reassurance word.

(Preparation)

準備(じゅんび) means preparation or getting ready in advance. It is the most general everyday word for making arrangements beforehand.

See Also

俺物語!! © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.