se me olvidó
/se me olbido/from spelling rules
The English phrase "slipped my mind" is translated into Spanish as se me olvidó.
You use this phrase to say that you forgot to do something or forgot a piece of information.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "it forgot itself to me". This construction implies that the forgetting was an accidental event that happened to the speaker, rather than a deliberate act of forgetting.
Which one should you use?
You can also use se me pasó to express that a task or piece of information escaped one's attention.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the indirect object pronoun me to indicate that the speaker is the one affected by the forgetting. If the thing you forgot is plural, you must change the verb to the plural form se me olvidaron.
Did you know?
- While se me olvidó describes the act of forgetting, Spanish uses the same reflexive structure for accidental mishaps, such as se me cayó for 'I dropped it'. This framing suggests the object fell on its own, distancing the speaker from the blame.
- In certain Spanish-speaking regions, people might use se me borró (it erased itself to me) as a slangy alternative to se me olvidó when referring to a specific piece of information, like a phone number.
- The word se in this expression underwent a strange linguistic evolution from the Old Spanish word ge. While most words with that spelling shifted to a /xe/ sound, se was reanalyzed by speakers to stay as /se/.
Examples in context
- Se me olvidó llamarte.It slipped my mind to call you.This sentence is useful for showing how to use se me olvidó when forgetting to perform an action like calling someone.Tatoeba #8195152 by arh, translation #8271910 by lunchmeat317
- Se me olvidó enviarte el informe a tiempoI forgot to send you the report on time
- Se me chispoteó tu nombre en ese momentoYour name slipped my mind at that moment
- Perdona, se me olvidó hacer la reserva en el restauranteSorry, I forgot to make the reservation at the restaurant
- Se me olvidó comprar la leche.It slipped my mind to buy the milk.
- Lo siento, se me olvidó nuestra cita.I'm sorry, our appointment slipped my mind.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are at home talking about a task.
- Elena¿Trajiste las llaves que te pedí?Did you bring the keys I asked you for?
- JavierLo siento, Elena, se me olvidó.I'm sorry, Elena, it slipped my mind.
- ElenaNo te preocupes, Javier.Don't worry, Javier.
- JavierIré a buscarlas ahora mismo.I will go look for them right now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
