Useful colloquial expression ‘мало ли’

The meaning of the expressions ‘мало ли’ and ‘мало ли что’ is not immediately obvious. In fact, they can be translated into English as ‘you never know’. Typically, they are used to express concerns that something might go wrong. Given how superstitious Russians can be, it’s a very natural expression. See for yourself.

• Возьми с собой зонт. Да, сейчас светит солнце, но мало ли… = Take an umbrella with you. Yes, the sun is shining now, but you never know…
• Я всегда выезжаю из дома в аэропорт заранее, а то мало ли что может случиться… = I always leave home for the airport in advance. After all, you never know what can happen…
• Она боится знакомиться в Интернете, мало ли что… = She is afraid to meet new people on the Internet, because you never know…