Meaning

"No strings attached" means with no hidden conditions. The gift, the offer or the help is free, and you don't owe anything later. The picture is a present with a string tied to it, so the giver can pull it back or pull you along. A puppet on strings works too: nobody's controlling you.

It is informal but common everywhere, from friends to advertising. You'll see "free trial, no strings attached" on websites, where it means you can cancel without paying. Because companies use it so often, people sometimes answer with a smile: "There are always strings." In conversations about relationships, "no strings attached" also means a casual relationship without commitment, so read the context.

In a conversation

JunXiao
  1. Jun
  2. Xiao
  3. Jun
  4. Xiao
  5. Jun
  6. Xiao

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

Check yourself

1Jun says the car is "no strings attached." What does he mean?
2Why does Xiao say "There are always strings"?

Practice · 3 min

Listen, then say each line. "No strings attached" is three even beats, with the strongest on "strings".

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.