Which one should you use?
The present tense me olvido describes a general tendency or a current state of forgetting. In contrast, olvidé is the preterite form used to state that a specific instance of forgetting occurred in the past.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the expression me despisto is commonly used to mean "I get distracted."
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the reflexive form me olvido to mean forgetting a specific thing or person, it is almost always followed by the preposition de. Another very common construction is se me olvidó, which frames the forgetting as something that "happened to you" rather than an action you performed.
How do you pronounce it?
/me olbido/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly omit the preposition de after me olvido. Instead of saying me olvido la llave, you should use the standard construction me olvido de la llave.
Did you know?
- While English speakers say 'I forgot it', a Spanish speaker might say se me olvidó, which literally translates more closely to 'it forgot itself to me'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, using se me olvidó can subtly soften the blow of an error, making it sound like a clumsy accident rather than personal negligence.
- The word olvido is rooted in the Latin oblitus, which relates to the concept of erasing or wiping something away.
Examples in context
- A veces me olvido de respirar.Sometimes I forget to breathe.This sentence is useful for showing how to use me olvido with a verb.Tatoeba #2750014 by Shishir, translation #1107885 by ddnktr
- A veces pienso en el futuro y me olvido de respirar.Sometimes, I think about the future, and I forget to breathe.This sentence shows me olvido used in a longer context.Tatoeba #1563500 by Shishir, translation #552055 by FeuDRenais
- Me olvido rápido. Me entra por un oído, y me sale por el otro.I forget quickly. It goes in one ear, and out the other.This sentence illustrates how to use me olvido to describe forgetting things quickly.Tatoeba #1458187 by marcelostockle, translation #12948985 by araneo
- Olvido las fechas importantes con frecuencia.I forget important dates often.
- Se me olvida el nombre de esa película.I forget the name of that movie.
- Me olvidé de comprar el pan.I forgot to buy the bread.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are talking about a dinner appointment.
- MateoMaría, ¿cuál es la dirección del restaurante?María, what is the address of the restaurant?
- MaríaEstá en la calle Mayor, número diez.It is on Mayor Street, number ten.
- MateoSiempre me olvido de esa calle.I always forget that street.
- MaríaNo te preocupes, yo te guío.Don't worry, I'll guide you.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
