Also:
Would you mind,
If you don’t mind
Meaning of Idiom ‘Do You Mind’
Do you mind is used in two different ways in English. The second way is an annoyed, hostile, or humorous variation of the first.
1. Do you mind is used as a polite way to ask someone’s permission or to ask them to do something.
Asking someone, politely, do you mind if…? is like asking them “Do you object to this?” or “Is it a problem?” 1Brenner, Gail. Webster’s New World American Idioms Handbook. John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
For this use, it is interchangeable with ‘would you mind…?’ Another common variation is “If you don’t mind…”
“Do you mind helping me carry these boxes?”
“Do you mind if I sit here?”
2. Do you mind is used as an exclamation of annoyance at something someone has done or is doing. Let’s say your sister is practicing her violin, loudly, while you are trying to study.
“Do you mind? I’m trying to study.”
Want to see more videos from Idioms.Online? Subscribe to our YouTube channel!
Usage Notes
Both senses of this idiom are not entirely different or separate. The two uses simply express one’s mood or intent a bit differently. Do you mind can be used politely or with annoyance.
For instance, in the first example, above, you are asking someone to help you carry boxes. If this person is supposed to be helping you but is not, you may be annoyed. So, you could say, “Do you mind? These boxes are heavy!”
In the second scenario, you are annoyed with your sister because her loud violin playing is interfering with your studying. It is possible that you would like to ask her to play less loudly even though you are not annoyed or angry. Therefore, the same idiom can be used to express the same thing in a more polite way: “Suzy, I really need to study for my exam. Do you mind playing more softly or taking a break for a while?”
When asking permission or someone’s opinion, ‘do you mind if’ is often used.
When expressing annoyance, ‘do you mind’ can be used alone when the reason for one’s annoyance is obvious.
Examples Of Use
“Do you mind if I change the station?”
“Do you mind if Kerry comes along with us? She’s bored and needs something to do.”
“Do you mind? You’re letting all the cold air in. Shut the door!”
“Would you mind if I call you back? Someone’s at the door.”
“Do you mind not standing so close?”
“Do you mind if we talk about this later? I’m late for work.”
“Would you mind keeping it down in there? I can’t hear myself think!”
“If you don’t mind, I’m going to eat the last piece of cake.”
“Do you mind telling Jonothan I’ll be late arriving to the meeting?”
“Do you mind winding up the car windows? I can’t hear the radio.”
“It’s cold in here! Would you mind turning up the heat?”
“Do you mind if I smoke?”
“Would you mind if I took the day off tomorrow?”
“Do you mind if Tim comes over after school?”
“Do you mind if I buy a new laptop? This one is so old and slow.”
“Do you mind? There’s no smoking allowed in here!”
“Do you mind if I wait here? My friend is coming anytime.”
“Do you mind helping out a little? We have a lot of work to do and not much time to do it!”
“Do you mind turning down that God-awful music? I can’t hear myself think!”
Origin
Originally, do you mind meant ‘are you listening’ and ‘do you understand?’ By the late 1800s, it was being used in the modern sense.
To mind something, in English, can mean to have an objection to it; to be annoyed, distressed, or worried by it. Therefore, to ask someone ‘do you mind’ is to ask them whether they have an objection to something or whether it suits them.
More Idioms Starting with D
- Days Of Yore
- Hot Potato
- Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t
- Dot Your i’s and Cross Your t’s
- Don’t Believe Everything You Read
More Do Idioms
- Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t
- Make Do
- Do Your Best
- Anything Doing?
- Do Yourself (or Oneself) an Injury
More Mind Idioms
Sources
Discover more from Idioms Online
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.