B1 Adjective, Verb (past participle) ニュートラル #33 よく出る 2分で読める

forgotten

/fərˈɡɒt.ən/

The past participle of the verb 'forget,' used to describe something that is no longer remembered or has been neglected. It often functions as an adjective to characterize people, things, or ideas that have slipped from memory or been left behind.

Forgotten describes the state of being unremembered, overlooked, or left behind, whether mentally or physically.

30秒でわかる単語

  • Past participle of forget used as an adjective.
  • Describes things or people no longer in memory.
  • Can refer to neglected or overlooked items.
  • Used in perfect tenses and passive voice.

Summary

Forgotten describes the state of being unremembered, overlooked, or left behind, whether mentally or physically.

  • Past participle of forget used as an adjective.
  • Describes things or people no longer in memory.
  • Can refer to neglected or overlooked items.
  • Used in perfect tenses and passive voice.

Use with 'have' for past actions

When describing an action that happened in the past but affects the present, use 'have forgotten' instead of just 'forgot'.

Don't confuse with 'forgetful'

'Forgotten' describes the object that is out of mind, while 'forgetful' describes a person who often forgets things.

The 'Forgotten Man' concept

In political and social history, this term refers to groups of people whose needs are overlooked by the government.

例文

4 / 4
1

I realized halfway to work that I had forgotten my lunch.

2

The archives contain many forgotten documents from the 19th century.

3

Don't worry about it; it's best forgotten.

4

The study aims to recover forgotten narratives of marginalized groups.

語族

名詞
forgetfulness
動詞
forget
形容詞
forgetful

覚え方のコツ

Think of the word 'gotten' (meaning acquired). If you have 'for-gotten' it, you have 'given it away' from your mind.

Overview

'Forgotten' is the past participle form of 'forget.' While it is a key component of perfect verb tenses (e.g., 'I have forgotten'), it is very frequently used as an adjective to describe a state of being. It implies that information once known is no longer accessible in the mind, or that an object or person is no longer receiving the attention they once had.

Usage Patterns

As a verb, it follows auxiliary verbs like 'have,' 'has,' or 'had' to form perfect tenses. As an adjective, it can appear before a noun (attributive) or after a linking verb (predicative). For example, 'the forgotten keys' or 'the keys were forgotten.' It is also common in passive voice constructions to emphasize the object that was left behind rather than the person who forgot it.

Common Contexts

You will encounter 'forgotten' in daily life regarding missed appointments or lost passwords. In literature and history, it often describes 'forgotten civilizations' or 'forgotten heroes,' suggesting a loss of collective cultural memory. Emotionally, it can describe a person who feels isolated or ignored by their social circle.

Similar Words Comparison

'Forgotten' is often compared to 'lost' and 'ignored.' While 'lost' implies a physical inability to find something, 'forgotten' implies a mental lapse. Unlike 'ignored,' which suggests a conscious, intentional decision to not pay attention, 'forgotten' usually implies an unintentional or accidental lapse in memory or care.

使い方のコツ

In British English, 'forgotten' is the standard past participle. In some American English dialects, 'forgot' is occasionally used as the past participle, though 'forgotten' remains the preferred and more formal choice globally. It is neutral in register.

よくある間違い

A common error is saying 'I have forgot' instead of 'I have forgotten.' Additionally, learners sometimes use 'forgotten' when they should use 'forgetful' to describe a person who has a bad memory.

覚え方のコツ

Think of the word 'gotten' (meaning acquired). If you have 'for-gotten' it, you have 'given it away' from your mind.

語源

Derived from the Old English 'forgietan,' where 'for-' implies a sense of loss or moving away, and 'gietan' means to grasp or get.

文化的な背景

The phrase 'Gone but not forgotten' is a common epitaph on gravestones in English-speaking cultures, signifying that a deceased person is still loved and remembered.

例文

1

I realized halfway to work that I had forgotten my lunch.

everyday
2

The archives contain many forgotten documents from the 19th century.

formal
3

Don't worry about it; it's best forgotten.

informal
4

The study aims to recover forgotten narratives of marginalized groups.

academic

語族

名詞
forgetfulness
動詞
forget
形容詞
forgetful

よく使う組み合わせ

forgotten password
long-forgotten
forgotten hero

よく使うフレーズ

Gone but not forgotten

A forgotten cause

よく混同される語

forgotten vs forgot

'Forgot' is the simple past tense (e.g., yesterday I forgot). 'Forgotten' is the past participle used for perfect tenses or as an adjective.

forgotten vs forgetful

'Forgetful' is an adjective describing a person's personality or habit of forgetting things often.

文法パターン

to be forgotten have/has/had forgotten a forgotten + noun

Use with 'have' for past actions

When describing an action that happened in the past but affects the present, use 'have forgotten' instead of just 'forgot'.

Don't confuse with 'forgetful'

'Forgotten' describes the object that is out of mind, while 'forgetful' describes a person who often forgets things.

The 'Forgotten Man' concept

In political and social history, this term refers to groups of people whose needs are overlooked by the government.

自分をテスト

fill blank

Complete the sentence with the correct form of the word.

The ancient ruins were ___ for centuries until a hiker found them.

正解! おしい! 正解: forgotten

The sentence requires a past participle to function as an adjective describing the ruins.

multiple choice

Choose the sentence that uses 'forgotten' correctly as an adjective.

Which of these sentences is correct?

正解! おしい! 正解: Both A and B

In A, it is a past participle in a verb phrase; in B, it is an adjective modifying 'umbrella'.

sentence building

Reorder the words to form a correct sentence.

password / I / my / have / forgotten / unfortunately / .

正解! おしい! 正解: Unfortunately, I have forgotten my password.

This follows the standard adverb-subject-verb-object structure.

スコア: /3

よくある質問

4 問

'Forgot' is the simple past tense (e.g., I forgot my keys), while 'forgotten' is the past participle used with 'have' (e.g., I have forgotten my keys) or as an adjective.

Yes, it often describes people who are neglected by society or no longer remembered by history, such as 'forgotten soldiers'.

Usually, yes, as it implies neglect or a loss of information, though it can be neutral in simple contexts like a forgotten umbrella.

You can use it as an adjective (a forgotten city) or as part of a verb phrase (I had forgotten about the meeting).

役に立った?
まだコメントがありません。最初に考えをシェアしましょう!