A: Welcome to my house!
B: Thank you. This is for you. It’s cookies.
A: Oh! Thank you. You could’ve come empty handed!
In this situation, what should you say ‘you could’ve come empty handed’ in Japanese?
Casual
A：気を遣わなくてもよかったのに！
Note: This is not a word-for-word translation.
Advanced Tips
A word-for-word translation
A：手ぶらで来てもよかったのに
This is a natural expression and we use it a lot.
But, 気を遣わなくてもよかったのに is more common and sounds more Japanese.
It imply your appreciation for their kindness.
And I think that it might show your respect for the other person’s good manners.
Kotoba no Hibiki 