A1 noun #4,341 le plus courant 2 min de lecture

forget

To not remember something or to leave something behind by accident.

Explication à ton niveau :

You use forget when you lose a thought. If you do not remember your homework, you forget it. If you leave your bag on the bus, you forget your bag. It is a very common word for everyone.

When you forget something, it means you cannot remember it anymore. You might forget a name, a date, or a task. It is also used when you leave things behind by mistake. For example, 'I forgot my keys at home.'

In this level, you will notice that forget is often followed by a verb. 'I forgot to call you' means the action didn't happen. 'I will never forget meeting you' means you will keep the memory forever. It is essential for daily communication.

At this level, you can use forget to express frustration or dismissal. 'Forget it!' is a phrase used to tell someone that a previous conversation or request is no longer relevant. You can also use it in passive structures like 'It is easily forgotten' to describe things that lack significance.

Advanced users often use forget in more abstract contexts. You might talk about 'forgetting one's roots' or 'forgetting the past' to describe a shift in identity or perspective. It is also used in formal writing to describe the omission of details or the deliberate neglect of duties.

At the mastery level, forget takes on nuanced, literary connotations. Authors use it to describe the erosion of memory over time or the act of choosing to ignore painful history. It implies a deeper psychological process, moving beyond simple memory loss into the realm of active suppression or historical erasure.

Mot en 30 secondes

  • Forget means to lose a memory or leave something behind.
  • It is an irregular verb (forget, forgot, forgotten).
  • Use 'forget to' for actions and 'forget about' for situations.
  • It is one of the most common verbs in English.

Hey there! Forget is one of those words we use every single day. At its core, it means your brain just didn't hold onto a piece of information, or perhaps you simply let it slip away.

Think about when you walk into a room and forget why you went in there—we have all been there! It is a very natural part of being human. Whether you are talking about a birthday, a homework assignment, or your umbrella on a rainy day, this word covers those little memory lapses perfectly.

The word forget has deep roots in Old English, coming from the word forgietan. The prefix for- often implies a negative or destructive action, while gietan meant to get or grasp.

So, historically, to forget was to lose your grasp on something. It is related to the German word vergessen and the Dutch vergeten. It is fascinating how languages across Europe share this same structure for talking about the things we lose from our minds.

You will hear forget in almost every setting. It is quite versatile! You can use it with an infinitive (to do something) or a gerund (doing something), though they change the meaning slightly.

For example, I forgot to lock the door means you didn't do the action. I forgot locking the door implies you did it, but you don't remember the memory of doing it. It is a common mistake, so watch out for that distinction!

Idioms make language fun! Forget it! is a common way to tell someone to stop worrying or that a request is impossible. Another is forget-me-not, which is a beautiful blue flower.

You might also hear forget your troubles, meaning to put your worries aside. We also use easy to forget when something is not memorable. Finally, don't you forget it is a firm way to remind someone of an important fact.

The verb forget is irregular. The past tense is forgot, and the past participle is forgotten. In American English, you might sometimes hear forgot used as the participle, but forgotten is standard.

Pronunciation is straightforward: /fərˈɡet/. The stress is on the second syllable. It rhymes with set, bet, and net. Remember that the 'o' is actually a schwa sound in the first syllable!

Le savais-tu ?

The 'for-' prefix in Old English often meant 'away' or 'completely'.

Guide de prononciation

UK /fəˈɡet/

Short 'e' sound as in 'get'.

US /fərˈɡet/

Slightly stronger 'r' sound.

Erreurs fréquentes

  • pronouncing the 'o' clearly
  • stressing the first syllable
  • forgetting the 't' at the end

Rime avec

bet get let met net set

Niveau de difficulté

Lecture 1/5

Easy to read

Écriture 2/5

Simple to write

Expression orale 1/5

Very common

Écoute 1/5

Easy to hear

Quoi apprendre ensuite

Prérequis

remember know think

Apprends ensuite

neglect omit overlook

Avancé

unforgettable oblivion

Grammaire à connaître

Irregular Verbs

Forget-Forgot-Forgotten

Infinitive vs Gerund

Forget to do vs Forget doing

Passive Voice

Was forgotten

Exemples par niveau

1

I forget my pen.

I lose my pen memory

Simple present

2

Do not forget me.

Please remember me

Imperative

3

I forgot my lunch.

I left it behind

Past tense

4

Did you forget?

Is it gone from your mind?

Question form

5

I forget his name.

I don't know it now

Present tense

6

She forgot the key.

She left it

Past tense

7

We forget easily.

Memory is not perfect

Adverb usage

8

Don't forget today.

Remember this day

Imperative

1

I often forget where I put my glasses.

2

Please don't forget to lock the door.

3

I completely forgot about our meeting.

4

He forgot his password again.

5

It is easy to forget small details.

6

Did you forget to buy milk?

7

I will never forget this vacation.

8

She forgot her umbrella in the rain.

1

I forgot to mention that I would be late.

2

I'm sorry, I forgot that you were coming today.

3

Try not to forget the instructions I gave you.

4

I've forgotten more than you'll ever know.

5

He forgot to turn off the stove.

6

Don't forget to take your medicine.

7

I forgot what I was going to say.

8

It is hard to forget such a beautiful sunset.

1

I'd like to forget the whole embarrassing incident.

2

She seems to have forgotten her humble beginnings.

3

Forget it, it's not worth arguing about.

4

We must not forget the lessons of the past.

5

He forgot to factor in the extra costs.

6

I've forgotten how to play this song.

7

Don't forget to check the expiration date.

8

I'm afraid I've forgotten your name.

1

The incident was quickly forgotten by the public.

2

He chose to forget the pain of his childhood.

3

One must not forget the cultural context of the work.

4

She was forgotten by history for many years.

5

I forgot to account for the possibility of rain.

6

It is a detail easily forgotten in the heat of the moment.

7

He has forgotten how to be kind.

8

We cannot afford to forget our core values.

1

The city was a place that time had seemingly forgotten.

2

She willed herself to forget the trauma.

3

To forgive is to forget the injury.

4

The nuance of the argument was forgotten in the translation.

5

He was forgotten in the annals of time.

6

We must not forget the gravity of the situation.

7

The memory was forgotten, buried deep in his subconscious.

8

She was a woman who could not be forgotten.

Synonymes

overlook neglect omit misplace unlearn

Collocations courantes

forget to do
forget about
easily forget
completely forget
forget a name
forget an appointment
never forget
forget the past
forget a password
forget to mention

Expressions idiomatiques

"forget it"

stop thinking about it or it's impossible

Forget it, I'll do it myself.

casual

"forget-me-not"

a type of blue flower

She planted forget-me-nots in the garden.

neutral

"easy to forget"

something that is not memorable

It's easy to forget how young they were.

neutral

"don't you forget it"

a warning to remember something

I'm the boss, don't you forget it!

casual

"forget your troubles"

stop worrying

Come dance and forget your troubles.

neutral

"forgotten man/woman"

someone overlooked by society

He felt like the forgotten man of the project.

formal

Facile à confondre

forget vs leave

both involve items

leave is about location, forget is about memory

I left my keys (I put them down) vs I forgot my keys (I didn't remember them).

forget vs neglect

both mean not doing

neglect is intentional or careless

I forgot to water the plant vs I neglected the plant.

forget vs omit

both mean missing

omit is usually intentional

I omitted the details.

forget vs overlook

both involve missing

overlook is not seeing something

I overlooked the typo.

Structures de phrases

A1

Subject + forgot + to + verb

I forgot to eat.

A1

Subject + forgot + noun

She forgot her bag.

B1

Subject + forgot + about + noun

I forgot about the meeting.

B1

Subject + will + never + forget

I will never forget this.

B2

It + is + easily + forgotten

It is easily forgotten.

Famille de mots

Noms

forgetfulness the state of being forgetful

Verbes

forget to lose memory

Adjectifs

forgetful tending to forget

Apparenté

unforgettable opposite meaning

Comment l'utiliser

frequency

9

Échelle de formalité

Omit (formal) Forget (neutral) Blank on (casual) Forget it (dismissive)

Astuces

💡

Memory Palace

Place your 'forgotten' items in a room in your mind.

💡

Native Speaker Tip

Use 'I forgot' for things you left behind.

🌍

Cultural Insight

In some cultures, forgetting is seen as disrespectful.

💡

Grammar Shortcut

Forget + to = action not done.

💡

Say It Right

The 'o' is a schwa.

💡

Don't Make This Mistake

Don't say 'I forgetted'.

💡

Did You Know?

It has Germanic origins.

💡

Study Smart

Use flashcards for irregular verbs.

💡

Writing Tip

Use 'neglect' for formal writing.

💡

Listening Tip

Listen for the 't' sound at the end.

Mémorise-le

Moyen mnémotechnique

For-Get: Forgetting to get the items.

Association visuelle

A person with a knot tied on their finger.

Word Web

memory mind lost recall brain

Défi

Try to remember 5 things you need to do tomorrow.

Origine du mot

Old English

Sens originel : To lose the grasp of

Contexte culturel

None, generally neutral.

Commonly used in polite reminders or dismissals.

'Forget You' by CeeLo Green 'The Forgotten' by Green Day

Pratique dans la vie réelle

Contextes réels

at school

  • I forgot my homework
  • I forgot the answer
  • Don't forget the date

at work

  • I forgot the report
  • I forgot to send the email
  • Don't forget the deadline

travel

  • I forgot my passport
  • I forgot my ticket
  • I forgot the address

social

  • I forgot your name
  • I forgot the time
  • Don't forget to come

Amorces de conversation

"What is the most important thing you have ever forgotten?"

"Do you think it is possible to forget a traumatic event?"

"How do you remind yourself not to forget things?"

"Have you ever forgotten someone's name at a party?"

"What is the best way to help someone who forgets things?"

Sujets d'écriture

Write about a time you forgot something important.

Is it better to forget the past or remember it?

Describe a day where you forgot everything.

How does technology help us not forget?

Questions fréquentes

8 questions

Forgot is simple past, forgotten is participle.

Yes, it means you left them behind.

Forgetfulness.

No, it is irregular.

Use 'to' + infinitive or '-ing' for memories.

It means 'don't worry about it' or 'it's not possible'.

It depends on your tone.

Remember it has two 't's in the participle.

Teste-toi

fill blank A1

Don't ___ to call me.

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : forget

Forget is the correct verb for memory.

multiple choice A2

Which means to leave something behind?

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : forget

Forget implies leaving something behind by mistake.

true false B1

Is 'forgotten' the past participle of forget?

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : Vrai

Yes, forget-forgot-forgotten.

match pairs B1

Word

Signification

Tout est apparié !

Antonyms.

sentence order B2

Touche les mots ci-dessous pour construire la phrase
Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte :

I forget to the key is incorrect, I forgot the key is correct.

fill blank B2

He ___ to lock the door.

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : forgot

Past tense needed.

true false C1

Can 'forget it' be used to dismiss a request?

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : Vrai

Yes, it is a common idiom.

multiple choice C1

Which is an adjective?

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : forgetful

Forgetful describes a person.

match pairs C2

Word

Signification

Tout est apparié !

Word family.

fill blank C2

She was ___ by her peers.

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : forgotten

Passive voice needs participle.

Score : /10

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