Olvidar - Correct Usage

Question

What's the correct way to say 'I've forgotten' / 'I forgot' / I forget' ?

Incidentally, where I live, all three English variations are correct and, loosely speaking, interchangeable, e.g.:

• What did you do last month ?
• I've forgotten / I forgot / I forget

Therefore, I suppose there could be more than one correct way of saying it in Spanish. However, I'm not sure if I should say:

• Lo olvido (I forget)
• Lo he olividado (I've forgotten)
• Lo olvidé (I forgot)
• Se me olvidó (it's forgotten to me; which, idiomatically, would be unusual in English, albeit not strictly speaking incorrect).

(Updated versions in bold)

Muchisimas gracias por ayudarme

Answer 1

Before anything else, you have to know that the verb "olvidar" in Spanish always requires a d.o., so the answers you suggested are incomplete. (Maybe you know it but I want to say this to the people who read the thread).

•What did you do last month?

1. Lo he olvidado - I have forgotten it
2. Lo olvidé - I forgot it

Also you can answer in the way you suggest in your last option:

1. Se me ha olvidado
2. Se me olvidó

There are no differences between the four options.

Thanks. I've updated my post accordingly :-) - Faldaesque, May 6, 2015

Ok, but Lo olvido is the only not valid - txustaboy, May 6, 2015

So how would I say it in the present tense, e.g. as in 'I always forget it' (could be my password, for example) ? :-) - Faldaesque, May 6, 2015

Falda, ¿qué tal: 'Nunca puedo recordar mi contraseña' ? - FELIZ77, May 6, 2015

O Siempre me olvido de mi contraseña (Using the verb olvidarse) I hope this helps :) - FELIZ77, May 6, 2015

'tis an odd verb... :-# - Faldaesque, May 6, 2015

Answer 2

To add to Txustaboy´s answer, there is a difference of nuance between the two usages.

If you want to indicate that you accept blame for forgetting, ie: Olvidé hacer mis deberes.

But to escape responsibility for forgetting, ie: Se me olvidaron mis deberes.

And to prove to a lover that her leaving doesn´t matter (although it probably does) we use the direct variant, ie: Vete si quieres, ya te he olvidado.

I never heard it before... - txustaboy, May 6, 2015

Maybe not in Spain, but it´s common in Mexico - 005faa61, May 6, 2015

Answer 3

Hello Falda,

Great question

You can say, amongst other ways:

1.Se me olvidó = I have forgotten

2.Se me pasó = I have forgotten.

My native Spanish teacher from Spain recently taught me this second colloquial and idiomatic way to say I have forgotten I would be interested to know how widespread this expression is: whether this is just used in Spain or throughout the Spanish speaking world

I hope this helps.

SE me paso. - txustaboy, May 7, 2015

Gracias, Txusta :) ¿De dónde eres, por favor? - FELIZ77, May 7, 2015

Sevilla - txustaboy, May 11, 2015

Answer 4

can you help me in translate spanish to english ?