Spanish · Everyday Verbs
"to forget" in Spanish: olvidar
olvidar
To forget in Spanish is olvidar. Say olvidé and no olvides. Se me olvidó is a soft Latin American way to say it slipped my mind.
Apology
Olvidé tu cumpleaños. Lo siento.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce olvidar
Say it
ol-bee-DAHR / ol-bee-DEH
/ol.bi.ˈðaɾ/
ol-bee-DAHR. Olvidé is ol-bee-DEH. Stress falls on DAHR in olvidar.
"to forget" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| olvidar | to forget Dictionary infinitive. | Dictionary infinitive. |
| olvidé | I forgot Simple past. | Simple past. |
| no olvides | don't forget Friendly reminder. | Friendly reminder. |
| se me olvidó | I forgot / it slipped my mind Softer blame. | Softer blame. |
| ustedes olvidan | you all forget Latin American plural you. | Latin American plural you. |
How to use olvidar in real life
- 1Apology
Olvidé tu cumpleaños. Lo siento.
I forgot your birthday. I'm sorry.
Olvidé from olvidar.
- 2Reminder
No olvides las llaves esta vez.
Don't forget the keys this time.
Olvides is negative tú of olvidar.
- 3Softer line
Se me olvidó traer el cargador.
I forgot to bring the charger. / It slipped my mind.
Se me olvidó uses olvidar.
Mistakes English speakers make with olvidar
Incorrect: Yo olvidar la cita.
Correct: Olvidé la cita. / Se me olvidó la cita.
Conjugate olvidar; past is olvidé.
Incorrect: Olvidé de llamar.
Correct: Olvidé llamar. / Se me olvidó llamar.
Olvidar takes the infinitive without de.
Good to know
Se me olvidó softens blame compared with olvidé. No olvides is a warm reminder. Olvidar can take a noun or an infinitive.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Before leaving home
ChatPal
No olvides el pasaporte.
Don't forget the passport.
You
Gracias. Ayer casi lo olvidé.
Thanks. Yesterday I almost forgot it.
ChatPal
A mí también se me olvidó una vez.
It also slipped my mind once.
You
Hoy lo tengo en la mano.
Today I have it in my hand.
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 Spanish
How do I say I forgot?
Olvidé… / Se me olvidó…
Don't forget?
No olvides…
Why se me olvidó?
Softer: it slipped my mind, still from olvidar.
How do you pronounce olvidar?
ol-bee-DAHR, stress on DAHR.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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