Olvidar vs olvidarse

Question

No te olvides de practicar vs no olvides de practicar. The verb seems to mean to forget in both transitive and pronomial state. In looking closer, it seems like to forget in general is olvidarse, but a specific thing is olvidar? So olvidar + an infinitive would be olvidarse. Me olvidé a cepillar los dientes pero ahora voy a cepillarlos dos veces de una vez. I forgot to brush my teeth so now I'm going to brush them twice, right away.

Answer 1

It's the difference between something slipping your mind and leaving something behind.

'''Me olvidé a cepillar los dientes.'' = I forgot to brush my teeth.

''Olvidé el bebé en el autobús.'' = I forgot (left) the baby on the bus.

Answer 2

It is also very common to depersonalize the verb: se me olvidó=I forgot (it escaped me or slipped my mind). I work around native speakers all day and I notice it used like this most often.

Well yes passive, impersonal, but I wonder more about just regular old coffeecup olvidar VS olvidarse in the above sentences. Gracias. - jeezzle, Dec 8, 2010

Answer 3

OK so , olvidarse is slipping your mind. No te olvides is something like, don't let it slap your mind, while no olvides is don't forget, and while we're at it....... no te olvidas, no olvidas is you don't forget, you don't let it slip your mind...... (not a command)

Very convenient that I have asked every question already.