ho dimenticato
In Italian, "I forgot" is said as ho dimenticato.
The phrase is used to say that one has failed to remember a piece of information or a task.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the auxiliary verb ho (I have) and the past participle dimenticato (forgotten).
Which one should you use?
While ho dimenticato is grammatically correct, the reflexive form mi sono dimenticato is much more common in everyday spoken Italian when expressing that one has forgotten something. A common idiomatic way to say "it slipped my mind" or "I forgot" is mi è sfuggito.
How does it change in a sentence?
If using the more common reflexive form mi sono dimenticato, a female speaker must change the ending to mi sono dimenticata.
Did you know?
- In extreme cases of mental lapse, an Italian might say ho un vuoto, which literally translates to 'I have a void'. It is a dramatic way to describe a temporary loss of memory.
- The verb dimenticare is closely related to the word mente, which means 'mind'. To forget is essentially to remove something from the mente.
- In Italian, you can say mi sono dimenticato di… for a task, but if you forget a physical object at a place, you might use ho lasciato, which literally means 'I left'.
Examples in context
- Ne ho dimenticato uno.I forgot one.This sentence shows how to use ho dimenticato when referring to one item.Tatoeba #11461708 by Guybrush88, translation #2873209 by Amastan
- Ho dimenticato il libro.I forgot the book.This sentence uses ho dimenticato to show forgetting a specific object.Tatoeba #2736492 by Guybrush88, translation #2701656 by CM
- Ho dimenticato la frase.I forgot the sentence.Tatoeba #13963928 by Guybrush88, translation #13202199 by Ergulis
- Mi scuso, ho dimenticato di portare i documenti richiesti.I'm sorry, I forgot to bring the required documents.
- Ho dimenticato completamente il tuo compleanno. Mi dispiace!I completely forgot your birthday. I'm sorry!
- Mi è scappato di mente di comprare il pane.It slipped my mind to buy bread.
- 174 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Matteo are preparing to leave the house.
- SofiaMatteo, hai preso le chiavi?Matteo, did you take the keys?
- MatteoOh no, ho dimenticato le chiavi a casa!Oh no, I forgot the keys at home!
- SofiaSempre la stessa cosa, Matteo.Always the same thing, Matteo.
- MatteoScusa, vado subito a prenderle.Sorry, I'll go get them right away.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
