wàngjì: 忘记 - To Forget, To Overlook

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• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese verb 忘记 (wàngjì), which means “to forget.” This comprehensive guide covers its core meaning, character origins, and cultural significance. Discover how to use `wàngjì` in everyday conversations, from forgetting your keys to telling someone not to forget, and understand the subtle difference between `忘记 (wàngjì)` and the more colloquial `忘了 (wàng le)`. This page is perfect for beginners looking to master one of the most practical verbs in Mandarin Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): wàngjì
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: To fail to remember or recall something; to overlook.
• In a Nutshell: 忘记 (wàngjì) is the standard and most common way to say “to forget” in Chinese. It's a neutral verb you can use for anything from forgetting a minor detail (like a name) to a significant event (like an anniversary). It functions as a single unit, describing the state of not remembering something that you previously knew.

• 忘 (wàng): This character is a beautiful example of a phono-semantic compound. It's composed of 亡 (wáng) on top, meaning “to disappear” or “to perish,” and 心 (xīn) on the bottom, meaning “heart” or “mind.” Together, they create a vivid picture: a memory that has disappeared from the mind.
• 记 (jì): This character means “to remember,” “to record,” or “a mark.” It consists of the speech radical 言 (yán) and 己 (jǐ), which means “oneself.” The combination suggests the act of recording something, either through speech or by impressing it upon oneself.

The combination 忘记 (wàngjì) literally means “to forget-remember.” In Chinese, this structure often indicates a result. The action of “remembering” (记) has a negative result: it is “lost” or “gone” (忘). Thus, you have the state of “forgetting.”

The act of forgetting is a universal human experience, but its social weight can differ across cultures. In Chinese culture, while forgetting everyday items is trivial, forgetting certain things carries significant social implications. A key concept to understand is 人情 (rénqíng), or human favor. Remembering favors, acts of kindness, and social obligations is paramount. To 忘记 (wàngjì) a favor someone has done for you is considered a serious social misstep, suggesting you are ungrateful or untrustworthy. This contrasts with the common Western maxim “forgive and forget.” In many Chinese contexts, especially concerning historical events or deep personal slights, the idea of “forgetting” can be seen as a betrayal of one's principles or identity. The patriotic phrase 勿忘国耻 (wù wàng guó chǐ), meaning “Never forget the national humiliation,” underscores the cultural value placed on remembering collective history and hardship. Forgetting, in this sense, is not a path to healing but an abandonment of duty.

忘记 (wàngjì) is an extremely common verb used in all aspects of daily life.

• Everyday Forgetting: This is its most frequent use—for forgetting items, appointments, information, etc. It's often followed by the particle 了 (le) to indicate a completed action.
• Polite Apologies: It's frequently used to start an apology for a mistake. For example, “对不起，我忘记了” (Sorry, I forgot).
• Commands and Suggestions: Used in the negative form 别忘记 (bié wàngjì) or 不要忘记 (búyào wàngjì) to mean “Don't forget…”
• Figurative Meaning: It can also mean to “let go of” or “put something behind you,” such as forgetting one's worries or a painful past.

Its formality is neutral, making it suitable for conversations with friends, family, and colleagues. In casual speech, the single-character version 忘了 (wàng le) is often used instead of the full 忘记了 (wàngjì le).

• Example 1:
  • 哎呀，我忘记带钱包了！
  • Pīnyīn: Āiyā, wǒ wàngjì dài qiánbāo le!
  • English: Oh no, I forgot to bring my wallet!
  • Analysis: A very common real-life exclamation. `忘记` is followed by a verb phrase (`带钱包 - dài qiánbāo`, to bring a wallet) to explain what was forgotten.
• Example 2:
  • 他好像忘记我的名字了。
  • Pīnyīn: Tā hǎoxiàng wàngjì wǒ de míngzi le.
  • English: It seems like he has forgotten my name.
  • Analysis: `好像 (hǎoxiàng)` means “it seems like,” softening the statement. Here, `忘记` is used for forgetting a piece of information.
• Example 3:
  • 请不要忘记明天早上九点的会议。
  • Pīnyīn: Qǐng búyào wàngjì míngtiān zǎoshang jiǔ diǎn de huìyì.
  • English: Please don't forget tomorrow's 9 AM meeting.
  • Analysis: This shows the formal negative command structure `不要忘记 (búyào wàngjì)`. It's a polite and clear instruction.
• Example 4:
  • 我永远不会忘记你对我的帮助。
  • Pīnyīn: Wǒ yǒngyuǎn búhuì wàngjì nǐ duì wǒ de bāngzhù.
  • English: I will never forget the help you gave me.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates a powerful, heartfelt use of the term. `永远不会 (yǒngyuǎn búhuì)` means “will never,” emphasizing the importance of the memory.
• Example 5:
  • 对不起，我把你的生日忘记了。
  • Pīnyīn: Duìbuqǐ, wǒ bǎ nǐ de shēngrì wàngjì le.
  • English: I'm sorry, I forgot your birthday.
  • Analysis: This example uses the 把 (bǎ) structure, which brings the object (`你的生日 - nǐ de shēngrì`) before the verb. This is a very natural way to express forgetting a specific thing.
• Example 6:
  • 他工作太忙，常常忘记吃饭。
  • Pīnyīn: Tā gōngzuò tài máng, chángcháng wàngjì chīfàn.
  • English: He's so busy with work that he often forgets to eat.
  • Analysis: Here, `忘记` describes a habitual action, indicated by `常常 (chángcháng)`, meaning “often.”
• Example 7:
  • 你应该忘记过去，开始新的生活。
  • Pīnyīn: Nǐ yīnggāi wàngjì guòqù, kāishǐ xīn de shēnghuó.
  • English: You should forget the past and start a new life.
  • Analysis: This is a figurative use, where `忘记` means “to let go of” or “move on from.”
• Example 8:
  • 我们上次说到哪儿了？我忘记了。
  • Pīnyīn: Wǒmen shàng cì shuō dào nǎr le? Wǒ wàngjì le.
  • English: Where were we last time? I've forgotten.
  • Analysis: A perfect example of how `忘记了 (wàngjì le)` is used in conversation to admit a lapse in memory.
• Example 9:
  • 我把这件事忘得一干二净了。
  • Pīnyīn: Wǒ bǎ zhè jiàn shì wàng de yī gān èr jìng le.
  • English: I've completely forgotten about this matter.
  • Analysis: An advanced example using the idiom `一干二净 (yī gān èr jìng)`, meaning “completely” or “thoroughly.” Note that only the character `忘` is used here, which is common in this type of degree complement structure.
• Example 10:
  • 出门的时候，别忘记关灯。
  • Pīnyīn: Chūmén de shíhou, bié wàngjì guān dēng.
  • English: When you go out, don't forget to turn off the lights.
  • Analysis: A classic example of the informal command `别忘记 (bié wàngjì)` used as a practical reminder.

• `忘记 (wàngjì)` vs. `忘了 (wàng le)`
  • This is the most common point of confusion for learners. They are largely interchangeable, but with a subtle difference in usage.
  • `忘了 (wàng le)` is more colloquial and extremely common in spoken Chinese. It's the default choice for saying “I forgot” in a casual setting. (e.g., `啊，我忘了！- Ā, wǒ wàng le!`)
  • `忘记 (wàngjì)` is slightly more formal and can sound more complete or deliberate. It's used in both spoken and written Chinese. You can almost always use `忘记了 (wàngjì le)` where you would use `忘了 (wàng le)`, but the reverse is not always true (e.g., in formal writing, `忘记` is preferred).
  • Rule of thumb: When in doubt in conversation, `忘了` is a safe and natural bet.
• Forgetting to Do vs. Forgetting Information
  • `忘记` works for both.
  • Forgetting to do something: `我忘记 + Verb Phrase` (e.g., `我忘记给你打电话了 - Wǒ wàngjì gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà le` - I forgot to call you.)
  • Forgetting information: `我忘记 + Noun` (e.g., `我忘记他的地址了 - Wǒ wàngjì tā de dìzhǐ le` - I forgot his address.)
• “Forgetting” a Person
  • In English, you can say “I've almost forgotten him.” In Chinese, you typically don't `忘记` a person directly. Instead, you forget something about them, like their name (`名字`), their face (`长相`), or the memories associated with them. To say you've erased someone from your memory implies something very serious, like amnesia.

• 记得 (jìde) - The direct antonym of `忘记`, meaning “to remember.”
• 忘了 (wàng le) - The more colloquial and very common spoken form of `忘记了`.
• 记忆 (jìyì) - A noun meaning “memory” or “recollection” (e.g., `我的记忆不好 - Wǒ de jìyì bù hǎo` - My memory is not good).
• 健忘 (jiànwàng) - An adjective meaning “forgetful, absent-minded.” (e.g., `他很健忘 - Tā hěn jiànwàng` - He is very forgetful).
• 想不起来 (xiǎng bu qǐlái) - “Can't recall.” This phrase emphasizes the process of trying to remember but failing. `忘记` describes the resulting state of not knowing. If someone asks you a question and you're actively searching your mind, you'd say `我想不起来了 (Wǒ xiǎng bu qǐlái le)`.
• 忽视 (hūshì) - “To ignore, to neglect, to overlook.” This is a “false friend” for the English word “overlook.” `忽视` implies ignoring something intentionally or through carelessness, whereas `忘记` is a simple failure of memory.
• 抛在脑后 (pāo zài nǎo hòu) - An idiom meaning “to cast to the back of one's mind.” It means to deliberately put something out of your thoughts, often a worry or a task.