Mindas a verb
We use theverbmindto mean ‘take care or be careful of or about something’, or ‘pay attention to something’. In this meaning, we usually use it in the imperative:
Mindyour step!
Mindyour head. This is a very small door!
Kathy,mindthat you don’t trip over my bag. It’s right by the door.
See also:
Imperative clauses (Be quiet!)
We can also usemindto mean ‘take care of someone or something’:
My mother has offered tomindthe children while we are away.
Could youmindmy bag for a moment?
We don’t usemindto meanremember:
We mustrememberthat it is our responsibility to protect and care for the environment.
Not:We must mind that…
I don’t mind, he doesn’t mind
We can usedon’t/doesn’t mindto mean ‘not feel annoyed or worried by something’.
I don’t mindliving near the train line. You get used to it.
She doesn’t mindwaiting up late.
We sayI don’t mind, orit doesn’t matter. We don’t sayit doesn’t mind:
A:Sorry, there are no more chairs!
B:I don’t mind.I can sit on the floor. (orIt doesn’t matter.I can sit on the floor.)
Not:It doesn’t mind…
See also:
Matter
When we refer to the future, we use present (not future) verb forms aftermind:
I don’t mindwhat day they come and stay as long as it’s not Tuesday 12th because I’m away.
Not: …what day they will come and stay…
Would you mind?andDo you mind?
We use the phraseswould you mind+ -ingform, anddo you mind+ -ingform to ask people politely to do things.Would you mindis more polite and more common:
Would you mindopening the window, please?
Do you mindturning down the volume a little, please?
Do you mindme turning on the light?(I want to turn on the light)
When we ask for permission politely, we can usewould you mind if I+ past ordo you mind if I+ present:
Would you mind if Iturned on this light?
Do you mind ifI sit here?
When someone asks for permission, we usually replyno …, meaning ‘I don’t mind’ or ‘I’m happy with that’. If we want to say that we are not happy, we usually begin withI’m afraid …:
A:Would you mindif we sat here?
B:No,not at all. (you can sit here – I don’t mind)
A:Do you mind ifI use your phone?
B:I’m afraidthe battery is dead.
Not:No. The battery is dead.
Never mind
We use the phrasenever mindto tell someone not to worry about something because it is not important:
A:Amy, I’m afraid I’ve broken a cup in your kitchen.
B:Never mind,Liz. It’s only a cup!
A:I really want to see that new Brad Pitt movie.
B:It finished last week at the cinema.
A:Oh,never mind.I’ll get it on DVD eventually.
Mind you
We use the phrasemind youin speaking to mean ‘but we should also remember or take into account’:
We had such terrible weather on our holiday.Mind you, it was winter in Tasmania when we went there.
We also usemind youwhen we are joking:
[A is reading a newspaper headline]
A:Lotto winner John builds golf-course in back yard.
B:Oh yeah. That is one way of spending your money.
A:Yeah.
B:Yeah. Must have a big back yard,mind you,to have ten holes of golf.
Mindas a noun
The nounmindrefers to the part of a person that enables them to think, feelemotions and be aware of things:
I was imagining fields of golden daffodils in mymind.
Mymindwas filled with ideas.
There are many commonly used phrases withmind:
Liam was going to come with us, but he’schanged his mind.(make a new or different decision about something)
We’vemade up our minds. We’re moving to New Zealand.(make a decision)
What’son your mind?(what’s bothering you?)
As a detective, I have tokeep an open mind.(be willing to consider all of the options and possibilities)
You will find other meanings ofmindin a good learner’s dictionary.
Mind: typical errors
We don’t useto-infinitive afterwould you mindordo you mind:
Would you mind getting me a newspaper?
Not:Would you mind to get me a newspaper?
We don’t usemindto mean ‘remember’:
Many people refuse to give any importance to computers but they shouldrememberthey have better lives because of them.
Not: …they should mind they have better lives because of them.