j'oublie
The English phrase "I forget" is translated into French as j'oublie.
j'oublie is a phrase used to state that you cannot remember a piece of information. In informal contexts, you might say J'oublie tout le temps to mean "I forget all the time".
What does it mean word for word?
j'oublie is a contraction of je, meaning "I" and oublie, meaning "forget".
Which one should you use?
While j'oublie is used for the general act of forgetting, you should use the passé composé form j'ai oublié to specifically emphasize that a single event of forgetting has already occurred in the past (e.g., "I forgot").
How does it change in a sentence?
j'oublie is the contracted form of je and oublie.
Did you know?
- When using j'oublie to talk about forgetting a person, it can imply that the person is no longer significant to you, rather than just a lapse in memory.
- The word oublier is a distant cousin of the English word 'oblivion', as both stem from the Latin 'oblivisci'.
- French uses the reflexive form s'oublier to mean 'to lose oneself' in a task or to neglect one's own needs, rather than just forgetting a fact.
Examples in context
- J'oublie de lui téléphoner.I forget to telephone him.This sentence shows how to use j'oublie when forgetting to perform an action.Tatoeba #495932 by sacredceltic, translation #285148 by megamanenm
- J'y pense et puis j'oublie.I think that, and then I forget.This sentence shows the sequence of thinking and then using j'oublie.Tatoeba #1478089 by martin9, translation #3803497 by maydoo
- J'oublie parfois de respirer.Sometimes I forget to breathe.This sentence shows the use of j'oublie in a more abstract or humorous sense.Tatoeba #1108568 by sacredceltic, translation #1107885 by ddnktr
- Excusez-moi, j'oublie régulièrement mon code d'accès.Excuse me, I regularly forget my access code.
- Désolé, j'oublie tout le temps les noms des gens.Sorry, I always forget people's names.
- Oh là là, j'ai complètement zappé notre rendez-vous de ce soir.Oh dear, I completely forgot about our appointment tonight.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a scheduled meeting.
- ChloéTu te souviens de notre rendez-vous ?Do you remember our appointment?
- GabrielDésolé, j'oublie toujours les dates.Sorry, I always forget dates.
- ChloéC'est dommage, Gabriel.That's a shame, Gabriel.
- GabrielJe vais noter ça pour ne pas oublier.I will note it down so I don't forget.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
