忘记

• Pinyin: wàng jì
• Hanzi breakdown: 忘 = 亡 (perish) + 心 (heart) — to forget; 记 = 讠(speech) + 己 (self) — to remember

Meaning

To forget. A commonly used verb meaning to fail to remember, slightly more emphatic than 忘 alone.

Interchangeable with 忘 in most contexts, but 忘记 is slightly more formal and emphatic. Can be followed directly by a verb phrase: 忘记带钱 (forgot to bring money). Very frequently used in daily speech and writing.

Examples

1. 我忘记带钱了。 I forgot to bring money.
2. 他忘记了我的生日。 He forgot my birthday.
3. 不要忘记写作业。 Don't forget to do your homework.

Usage Guide

Context: memory, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我忘记你的电话号码了。(I forgot your phone number.)
• 别忘记吃药。(Don't forget to take your medicine.)

Don't Say

• 我忘记了去做作业。(Awkward — say 我忘记做作业了 or 我忘了做作业; do not insert 去 between 忘记 and the action)

Origin & History

A compound of 忘 (to forget) and 记 (to remember/record), where the two opposing meanings combine to emphasise the act of losing a memory.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal