French · Everyday Verbs

"to forget" in French: oublier

oublier

Say it: oo-blee-YAYverb/u.bli.je/

To forget in French is oublier. J'oublie means I forget. N'oublie pas is don't forget. Past participle oublié pairs with avoir: j'ai oublié.

Leaving home

J'oublie toujours mes clés sur la table.
I always forget my keys on the table.
Practice French out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce oublier

Say it

oo-blee-YAY

/u.bli.je/

Oublier: oo-blee-YAY. J'oublie: zhoo-BLEE. Soft bl cluster.

"to forget" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
oublierto forget

Infinitive.

j'oublie / tu oubliesI forget / you forget

Present.

n'oublie pasdon't forget

Informal imperative.

oublié(e)forgotten

Past participle.

How to use oublier in real life

  1. 1Leaving home

    J'oublie toujours mes clés sur la table.

    I always forget my keys on the table.

    J'oublie.

  2. 2Reminder text

    N'oublie pas le pain en rentrant.

    Don't forget the bread on the way home.

    N'oublie pas.

  3. 3Apology

    Désolé, j'ai oublié ton message hier.

    Sorry, I forgot your message yesterday.

    J'ai oublié.

Mistakes English speakers make with oublier

Incorrect: J'ai oublié de le. (dangling)

Correct: Je l'ai oublié.

Object pronouns go before the verb: je l'ai oublié.

Incorrect: Je forget mon badge.

Correct: J'oublie mon badge.

Use oublier forms.

Good to know

N'oublie pas… is the friendly nudge in texts. For stronger blame, you hear tu as encore oublié. French often softens with désolé, j'ai zappé—same idea as oublier.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Before leaving the apartment

  1. ChatPal

    Tu n'oublies rien ? Chargeur, badge ?

    You're not forgetting anything? Charger, badge?

  2. You

    Attends… j'oublie toujours le badge.

    Wait—I always forget the badge.

  3. ChatPal

    Le voilà. N'oublie pas non plus ton écharpe.

    Here it is. Don't forget your scarf either.

  4. You

    Merci. On y va.

    Thanks. Let's go.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"to forget" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to forget" in French

How do you say I forget?

J'oublie.

How do you say don't forget?

N'oublie pas (tu) / n'oubliez pas (vous).

How do you say I forgot?

J'ai oublié.

How do you pronounce oublier?

oo-blee-YAY.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in French. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.