Bedeutung
Recalling a missed communication.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Dutch people value 'transparantie' (transparency). Admitting you forgot to say something is seen as more professional than letting the error stand. It shows you are 'scherp' (sharp) enough to catch your own mistake. Flemish speakers might use 'Ik ben het vergeten te zeggen' but often follow it with a more apologetic tone or a 'sorry hoor'. The culture is slightly more indirect than in the North. In Surinamese Dutch, the auxiliary 'hebben' is sometimes used more frequently than 'zijn' for verbs of state, but 'ben' remains the formal standard in education and media. While not Dutch, Afrikaans is a daughter language. They say 'Ek het vergeet om te sê'. Notice they use 'het' (have) and 'om te'. This helps Dutch learners understand the historical shift.
Use 'Trouwens'
Start your sentence with 'Trouwens' (By the way) to make the transition even smoother.
Don't forget the 'het'
Without 'het', the sentence sounds incomplete to Dutch ears.
Bedeutung
Recalling a missed communication.
Use 'Trouwens'
Start your sentence with 'Trouwens' (By the way) to make the transition even smoother.
Don't forget the 'het'
Without 'het', the sentence sounds incomplete to Dutch ears.
Past Tense for Stories
If you are telling a story about a past mistake, use 'Ik was het vergeten te zeggen'.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing auxiliary verb.
Ik ___ het vergeten te zeggen.
In Dutch, 'vergeten' as a state uses the auxiliary 'zijn' (ben).
Which sentence is grammatically perfect?
Choose the best option:
This version includes the placeholder 'het' and the infinitive marker 'te'.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Doei, tot morgen! B: Wacht! Ik ___ ___ ___ te zeggen: we gaan om 8 uur.
This is the most natural way to interrupt someone with forgotten info.
Match the phrase to the context.
When would you say 'Ik ben het vergeten te zeggen'?
The phrase is specifically for missed verbal information.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenIk ___ het vergeten te zeggen.
In Dutch, 'vergeten' as a state uses the auxiliary 'zijn' (ben).
Choose the best option:
This version includes the placeholder 'het' and the infinitive marker 'te'.
A: Doei, tot morgen! B: Wacht! Ik ___ ___ ___ te zeggen: we gaan om 8 uur.
This is the most natural way to interrupt someone with forgotten info.
When would you say 'Ik ben het vergeten te zeggen'?
The phrase is specifically for missed verbal information.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenIn Dutch, verbs that indicate a change of state or a resultative condition use 'zijn' (to be). Forgetting is seen as entering a state of 'having forgotten'.
Not strictly. In some dialects and in very active contexts, 'heb' is used. However, 'ben' is the standard and what you will see in exams.
No. For physical objects, just say 'Ik ben mijn sleutels vergeten'. The 'te zeggen' part is only for spoken/written info.
'Zeggen' is for short facts or statements. 'Vertellen' is for stories or longer explanations.
Yes, in this specific construction, 'het' acts as a necessary placeholder for the information you forgot.
Replace 'zeggen' with 'vermelden' (to mention) or 'informeren' (to inform).
Yes, that is the simple past. It's common in stories, but 'Ik ben het vergeten' is more common in immediate conversation.
Not at all! It's actually quite polite as it shows you are trying to be thorough.
Then you say 'Ik ben het vergeten te doen'. The structure is the same!
In very casual speech, you can just say 'Vergeten te zeggen!'
Verwandte Redewendungen
Ik schiet me net te binnen
similarIt just occurred to me.
Trouwens
builds onBy the way
Ik heb nagelaten te...
specialized formI failed to...
Ik ben het kwijt
similarI lost it / I forgot what I was saying.
