olvidé mis llaves
/olbide mis ʝabes/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I forgot my keys" is said as olvidé mis llaves.
This phrase is used to state that you have failed to remember to bring your keys.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase olvidé mis llaves breaks down into olvidé (I forgot), mis (my, plural) and llaves (keys).
Which one should you use?
You can use olvidé mis llaves to state the action directly, or the alternative se me olvidaron las llaves. The latter uses an accidental construction that literally translates to "they forgot themselves to me," which implies the forgetting was unintentional.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the direct form olvidé mis llaves, the verb olvidé is in the preterite indicative tense, which marks a completed action in the past. In the alternative form se me olvidaron las llaves, the verb olvidar must be plural to agree with las llaves.
Did you know?
- The word llave comes from the Latin clavis, which is also the root of the English word 'clavicle' because the collarbone is shaped like an old-fashioned key.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, using the accidental construction se me olvidaron is considered more polite than the direct olvidé. It prevents you from sounding overly blunt or self-centered by framing the mistake as an external accident.
- The word llave is used not only for metal keys but also for the 'valve' in a musical instrument or a 'tap' in plumbing. In some contexts, you might even hear of a llave de agua referring to a water faucet.
Examples in context
- Disculpe, señor/a, olvidé mis llaves en su automóvil. ¿Podría abrirlo para recuperarlas?Excuse me, sir/madam, I forgot my keys in your car. Could you open it so I can retrieve them?
- Amigo, se me olvidaron las llaves en tu casa. ¿Puedo pasar a buscarlas?Dude, I forgot my keys at your place. Can I come by and pick them up?
- Oye, me olvidé de las llaves en la oficina. ¿Podemos hacer una copia mañana?Hey, I forgot about the keys at the office. Can we make a copy tomorrow?
- Lo siento, olvidé mis llaves en la mesa.I'm sorry, I forgot my keys on the table.
- ¡Qué mal! Olvidé mis llaves en el coche.Oh no! I forgot my keys in the car.
- No puedo entrar porque olvidé mis llaves.I can't enter because I forgot my keys.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are standing in front of their apartment door.
- SofíaNo puedo abrir la puerta.I can't open the door.
- Javier¿Qué pasó, Sofía?What happened, Sofía?
- SofíaOlvidé mis llaves en la oficina.I forgot my keys at the office.
- JavierNo te preocupes, yo tengo las mías.Don't worry, I have mine.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
