I forgot: "se me olvidó"

Question

Is the "se", here reflexive, or does it translate to "I know"?

Answer 1

Se me olvidó = I forgot (implies it was accidental)

What happens if you say "Yo olvidé"? Do you basically say "I forgot on purpose"?

I don't think so, but it certainly sounds harsher. As if you were saying that you forgot, and you couldn't care less. - hithere3387, Feb 23, 2010

Se me olvidó = "It slipped my mind." - MJ, Aug 15, 2010

Answer 2

In Spanish, it is typical to use this type of construction when you wish to "lighten" the meaning of the phrase in order to avoid blame. What this literally means is, "it forgot itself on me," which is to say that the speaker accidentally has forgotten whatever "it" is. So yes, the "se" is reflexive.