Can I use "doesn't matter what I do..." instead of "no matter..."?

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

In this case the meanings of "it doesn't matter" and "no matter" are the same, but you have to be careful about overapplying the similarity. They are not always interchangeable in all contexts. Ex: A: Do you want me to order a pepperoni pizza, or a mushroom pizza? B1: It doesn't matter; they both sound good to me. OR B2: No matter; they both sound good to me. In the dialog above, I'd probably answer with B1 and not B2. I'm more likely to use the phrase "no matter" when I'm trying to reassure someone about something negative that has happened. Ex: A: Sorry I spilled your beer. B: No matter – there are plenty more in the fridge. The two have a lot of overlap in meaning, but there are times I'd be more inclined to use one rather than the other.

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Popular Q&As

04/20

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